Charity watchdog opens inquiry into City & Guilds’ sale of business arm

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Simon GoodleyJanuary 9, 2026 at 04:14 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

The Charity Commission has launched an inquiry into City & Guilds' sale of its qualification awards business to PeopleCert last year. This follows reports of million-pound bonuses awarded to City & Guilds executives, including CEO Kirstie Donnelly and Finance Director Abid Ismail, after the privatization. The inquiry will examine the trustees' decision-making process regarding the sale, the information they considered, and concerns raised about executive bonuses. The commission had been informed of the sale previously and received assurances, but the sale did not require their consent. The inquiry may expand if further regulatory issues arise.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Queen Victoria 30% City of London 40% UK 40% Guardian ×250% Abid Ismail ×260% PeopleCert ×270% Kirstie Donnelly ×270% Charity Commission ×380% City & Guilds ×590%

Keywords

city & guilds 100% executive bonuses 90% statutory inquiry 90% sale of business arm 90% charity watchdog 80% cost-cutting 70% charity commission 70% peoplecert 60% trustees' decision-making 60% qualification awards 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

City of London

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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city & guilds executive bonuses statutory inquiry sale of business arm charity watchdog cost-cutting charity commission peoplecert trustees' decision-making qualification awards

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