Sacha Lord leaves Manchester advisory role amid financial scandal.
Sacha Lord has resigned as an advisor to Andy Burnham after the Arts Council asked his company to repay over £400,000 of public money that it received during the pandemic.
The Arts Council announced that it had concluded its investigation into Lord’s company and that it wants the money back. A spokesperson said: “Following a thorough review of the application that Primary Event Solutions submitted to the Culture Recovery Fund in 2021, our decision is to withdraw the grant that was awarded and we are seeking to recover this money.”
Burnham says that he accepted Lord’s resignation as Greater Manchester’s nighttime economy advisor last night, but said he did so “with regret” and that he didn’t understand the Arts Council’s conclusion.
In a statement today, Lord said he has been gradually stepping back from his role at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in recent months. He said: “With heartfelt thanks to the Mayor and his team, I have decided to continue in this direction and embrace a new chapter ahead – championing the sector on a national level with fresh focus and energy.”
He added:
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a city-region – earning recognition as the ‘night-time capital of the UK’, ranking eighth in the World’s Best Cities for Nightlife, surpassing global destinations like Budapest and Buenos Aires, and successfully introducing initiatives which will transform our nightlife for the better, such as 24-hour night buses. However, the emotional toll and experience over recent months has given me the opportunity to reflect and gradually step back from my role in Greater Manchester. With heartfelt thanks to the Mayor and his team, I have decided to continue in this direction and embrace a new chapter ahead – championing the sector on a national level with fresh focus and energy.”
Sacha Lord leaves Manchester advisory role amid financial scandal.
