BHS collapse: Sir Philip Green's knighthood under review as 'all remaining stores set to close'

Pledge: Sir Philip Green
Parliament.tv
Jamie Bullen23 July 2016

Former BHS boss Sir Philip Green could be stripped of his knighthood amid reports thousands of staff are to set to lose their jobs as all remaining stores face the axe.

A Cabinet Office official wrote to Labour MP Jim McMahon to confirm the honour is being reviewed in the wake of the store chain’s collapse.

It comes as Sky News reported the firm's remaining 114 stores are set to close next month, leaving around 5,000 staff redundant, as the brand faces being wiped off the high street.

Mr McMahon was among MPs who wrote to the Honours Forfeiture Committee calling for the knighthood to be removed over anger at the way Sir Philip sold BHS to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell

In the letter, the official wrote: “I hope you will understand that I cannot comment on the particular circumstances of Sir Philip, but I can assure you that the case is being reviewed.”

A spokesman for Sir Philip declined to comment.

The disclosure comes just days before publication of what is expected to be a damning joint report by two Commons select committees on the store chain's collapse.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “Applications for forfeiture are considered by an independent committee.

“They have been clear that they will not consider reviewing an honour until any formal reviews or investigations which establish the facts of a case have been completed. However, we continue to keep the case under review.”

Up to 11,000 BHS staff face losing their jobs unless a buyer is found for the company, which collapsed in April when the chain’s pension black hole rocketed to £571m.

Last March, the Topshop tycoon controversially sold BHS for just £1 after her purchased the chain for £200m in 2000.

Sir Philip has come under scrutiny for that sale, along with the £400m in dividends taken out of the firm during his 15-year ownership and his management of the pension scheme.

He told a Commons inquiry committee last month that he would "fix" the pension problem at BHS.

On Saturday, 20 BHS stores ceased trading.

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