Paul Flowers (banker)

Paul Flowers
Born
Paul John Flowers

(1950-06-05) 5 June 1950 (age 74)
Portsmouth, Hampshire,
England
Other namesThe Crystal Methodist
OccupationRetired
Years active1975–present
OrganizationThe Co-operative Group
TitleNon-executive chairman,
The Co-operative Bank (2009–13)

Paul John Flowers FRSA FRGS[1][2] (born 5 June 1950)[3][4] is an English businessman and former Methodist minister. He is a former Labour councillor in Rochdale and Bradford, and was Non-executive chairman of the Co-operative Bank.[5][6]

After the bank lost £700m in the first half of 2013, and a £1.5 billion hole in the bank's finances was discovered by the new chief executive Euan Sutherland in May 2013, Flowers resigned in May 2013.[7]

In November 2013, the activities of Flowers, who had occupied a variety of powerful political and business posts and had been appointed by Labour leader Ed Miliband to a senior post in 2010, were widely reported in the media. Flowers was filmed by an acquaintance in his car apparently agreeing to buy cocaine and methamphetamine, and appearing to count large sums of money while discussing his use of a range of other non-medicinal drugs.[8] He was subsequently taken to court and convicted of possession of drugs.[9]

Soon after the film of the apparent purchase of illicit drugs was released to the media, it was revealed that, while deputy head of social services at Rochdale Council, Flowers had known about the activities of paedophiles at a residential boys' school, but had not informed parents or taken measures to close the school, was responsible for rejecting allegations of child sex abuse against the late Rochdale MP Cyril Smith,[10] and that, in 2011, while working at Bradford Council, "inappropriate but not illegal adult content was found on a council computer handed in by Councillor Flowers for servicing. This was put to him and he resigned immediately."[11]

Several newspapers reported allegations that he communicated with male sex workers using his work email account while he was in charge of the Co-operative Bank, and was convicted of carrying out a sex act in a public toilet more than 30 years ago.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference BizWekBio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Curriculum Vitae: The Reverend Paul John Flowers" (PDF). parliament.uk. October 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  3. ^ "Former Co-op Bank chief Paul Flowers says 'I have sinned'". BBC News. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  4. ^ Guthrie, Jonathan; Bounds, Andrew (22 November 2013). "The bumbling bank boss with meth in his madness". Financial Times. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC24984680 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Burn-Callander, Rebecca; Quinn, James (17 November 2013). "Profile: Rev, Paul Flowers". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  7. ^ Murray, Anthony (4 July 2013). "Timeline: What's been happening at the Co-operative Bank?". Co-operative News. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  8. ^ Siddique, Haroon (17 November 2013). "Co-operative Bank's former chairman 'seeking help' after drugs admission". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  9. ^ Former Co-op bank boss Paul Flowers pleads guilty to drug charges. Helen Pidd. Publisher: The Guardian newspaper. Published: 7 May 2014. Retrieved: 8 May 2014.
  10. ^ a b Rayner, Gordon (21 November 2013). "Rev Paul Flowers' links to Cyril Smith". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Co-op boss quit Bradford Council after 'adult content' found on computer". Yorkshire Post. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2014.