‘Tory stooge’ Christine Pratt faces calls to quit

Christine Pratt, the chief executive of the National Bullying Helpline who claimed she had received phone calls from harassed Number 10 employees, is today fending off demands that she resign and accusations that she is a Conservative Stooge. She is also fighting for the survival of the charity she founded.

Pratt first became embroiled in controversy when she emailed BBC Radio Wiltshire on Sunday to claim her anti-bullying charity had received "three or four" requests for advice from staff who worked at 10 Downing Street.

She was apparently moved to speak out after watching Lord Mandelson deny on the Andrew Marr Show that there was a bullying culture inside Number Ten, "without," as Pratt put it, "going through the due processes".

She later told the Daily Telegraph: "At the very least, there should have been an investigation into the allegations before any statement is made."

But by last night, all four of the charity's patrons had resigned in protest at what they saw as a serious breach of confidentiality.

Professor Cary Cooper, an expert in workplace stress, was the first to resign, saying: "As a helpline or counselling service you never, ever reveal anything to do with when a client calls you in any way."

The same day, BBC TV presenter Sarah Cawood, Conservative councillor Mary O'Connor and Tory MP Anne Widdecombe all followed suit, the latter saying: "Whoever contacts a bullying helpline has to be reassured that their details will be kept confidential."

Pratt denies any wrongdoing. "We have not breached any confidentiality and yes, I would do it all again given the choice," she said.

But the director of another anti-bullying charity, Bullying UK called for Pratt to resign. Liz Carnell told the Daily Mirror: "Gordon Brown's office is small and the comments will almost certainly identify this person... We suggest Mrs Pratt considers her position, given the damage she has caused to the anti-bullying sector."

The media in general seems to have moved on from the question of whether Gordon Brown is a bully - and whether it even matters, which the Mole questioned yesterday - to how long Pratt can go on in the face of an onslaught of damaging allegations.

Pratt's political motivations are under scrutiny thanks to the fact that two of her patrons are Conservatives, the offices of her charity in Swindon are next door to the local Conservative Party association, and there is a testimonial by David Cameron on the charity's website. She has denied there is any political side to her allegations of bullying at Number 10.

Meanwhile, even the Daily Mail has weighed in on Brown's side, publishing a profile of Pratt in which she is labelled "the high priestess of victimhood". In it, Pratt's "colourful litigious history"
is detailed, including employment tribunals against BAe Systems and the Japanese firm Sanden International.

Even if Pratt does decide to fall on her sword, it is debatable whether her charity can survive. There are questions over the ethics of the National Bullying Helpline's practice of referring vulnerable callers to an HR consultancy owned by Pratt's husband. The consultancy then attempts to charge victims to investigate their employers - a practice Pratt says has been ended. The charity commission confirmed it had received several complaints about the organisation.

It also emerged that the charity is seven months late in submitting its accounts to the charity commission.

One thing seems clear from 'bullygate': the Labour rebuttal machine is in full general election mode and Mrs Pratt has become its first victim. ·