National Bullying Helpline underneath glow as congregation renounce Politics

Christine Pratt pronounced the National Bullying Helpline had perceived calls from Downing Street staff. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The owner of a bullying helpline was roundly pilloried currently for divulgence that her gift had perceived calls from people operative inside of Downing Street and was indicted of being piece of a politically encouraged tract to destabilise Gordon Brown.

Three congregation of the National Bullying Helpline – Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, TV presenter Sarah Cawood and workplace highlight consultant Cary Cooper – give up currently at the poise of Christine Pratt. There were additionally reports tonight that a fourth patron, Tory councillor for Hillingdon Mary O"Connor, had quiescent – that would leave the gift but any patrons.

The gift commission additionally pronounced it was rising an review in to the helpline given of complaints it had perceived in the last twenty-four hours.

But notwithstanding the criticisms, Pratt insisted she had been right to verbalise up and hinted that serve complaints had been finished from employees at the heart of government.

The owner of the National Bullying Helpline tells Steven Morris about her gift and the purported hit with Downing Street Link to this audio

She additionally strongly denied that she or her Swindon-based organization were politically encouraged or she had been in hold with the Conservative celebration prior to she went open with the allegations.

With the row display no signs of abating, Pratt pronounced she had oral out given she felt that the supervision was not receiving complaints about bullying seriously. But she additionally went on to confess the allegations finished about bullying competence have been but substructure or "imaginary" and emphasised that nobody had without delay indicted the budding minister.

Speaking to the Guardian, she referred to that some-more allegations competence have been finished by staff operative close to the budding apportion given the outcry erupted on Sunday.

"I assimilate there competence be some-more entrance down the line. I have to see at it. There are a little issues I need to get my head around."

Asked if she would try to convince any of the ostensible complainants to come brazen she said: "I competence really well do that. I will be giving that really critical consideration. I will find recommendation from curators and colleagues. I"m darned if I do and darned if I don"t now."

Pratt spoke as she was criticised by Tory and Labour MPs, and as congregation of the helpline walked away, observant they had quiescent given of the proceed she had put the gift in the spotlight.

Cary Cooper, a highbrow of organisational psychology and health, quiescent this morning, observant that Pratt had not been "very wise". He added: "It is ostensible to be a trusted helpline."

Cawood followed fit hours later, observant she felt she had no preference but to area herself from the charity.

"I concluded to turn a enthusiast of the National Bullying Helpline given I hold that bullying – in any form and opposite any person, in any case of on all sides or energy – is wrong.

"However, in light of the new events where trusted phone calls were finished public, I feel it is no longer a debate with that I would similar to my name to be associated. I have thus motionless to renounce as a enthusiast of the National Bullying Helpline with evident effect."

It has additionally been reported tonight that Tory councillor for Hillingdon Mary O"Connor has departed.

Pratt, who set up the hotline in 2003 with father David, certified that she was "shocked" and "emotionally drained" after anticipating herself at the centre of a storm.

She described how she had been awaiting a still Sunday, but that altered when her father was out on foot the dog in the morning.

Pratt emailed a internal BBC air wave hire after conference Peter Mandelson being interviewed by Andrew Marr on Sunday morning. She pronounced she thought the commercial operation cabinet part of hadn"t taken the claims of bullying seriously.

Elaborating to BBC reporters, Pratt claimed that her organization had been contacted by people operative at No 10, sparking a outrageous domestic row.

Lord Mandelson claimed that a "political operation" had been launched and the charity"s links to the Tory celebration came underneath scrutiny; the domicile are dual doors down from a Conservative office, and it boasts the Conservative grandee Ann Widdecombe as a patron. The front of the website includes a admiration from David Cameron.

But Pratt pronounced she had "absolutely no contact" with Conservatives prior to creation her comments.

She said: "We"re not politically motivated. If we were politically encouraged we competence be really rich. We"re not. We embrace no supervision funding. This gift is a bad charity."

Pratt pronounced she was not a part of of the Conservative celebration and it was only a fluke that there was a Tory bureau dual doors down.

Pratt certified she was still rough about the sum of how most people from No 10 had finished complaints.

She said: "We have perceived 3 or 4 calls from the budding minister"s bureau or emissary budding minister"s bureau over the last eighteen months or so. I haven"t got the sum in front of me, I will need to dig them out."

Pratt went on to contend that one was someone who downloaded report from the website – and could have been you do so for investigate purposes. But she pronounced she privately had phoned one complainant back.

She continued: "This isn"t about those 3 or 4 calls. The reason we contacted the internal media on Sunday was given we were endangered that an employer here, and No 10 no less, was going in to present rejection when allegations of bullying were levied and that is not how an employer ought to handle in 2010."

Pratt was penetrating to emphasize that conjunction she nor the complainants had indicted Gordon Brown directly.

"They have not pronounced Gordon Brown is a bully. We aren"t observant Gordon Brown is a bully. We are endangered there was a dismissive approach."

Pratt denied that she had damaged manners of confidentiality. "I know a little are job for my resignation. I don"t hold I"ve finished anything wrong. I haven"t disclosed sum or names."

Ann Widdecombe, pronounced it was consequential to apply oneself callers" anonymity. "I instruct she hadn"t finished it," she said.

Pratt, however, remained daring tonight. She insisted: "I would do the same again."