London - The chairman of the Royal Opera House resigned yesterday after a blistering parliamentary report said any "philistine" with financial savvy could do the job better.
But while Lord Chadlington stepped down, the ROH chief executive, Ms Mary Allen stayed on, even though some of the harshest criticism was directed at her.
The Royal Opera House said Lord Chadlington, who was both chairman and director, had resigned and that all the other members of the board had offered their resignations. The other members were to stay on in a caretaker role under the Deputy Chairman, Sir James Spooner, until a new board could be established.
On Wednesday the all-party committee of MPs criticised the opera bosses for mismanagement and said the government should appoint someone who could resolve its financial woes, which are reported to include a deficit of some £7 million.