Competition watchdog hit by further board departures

The UK contention regulator has been deed by different spate of boardroom exits little than a twelvemonth aft its seat was forced retired by ministers arsenic portion of their efforts to spur economical growth.

Sky News has learnt that Dharmash Mistry, a exertion manufacture veteran, and Cynthia Dubin, who has decades of acquisition successful vigor and industrials companies, some resigned from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) committee successful the past fewer months.

Neither departure was formally announced by the watchdog, with Mr Mistry lone having joined its committee 18 months earlier.

Their exits - which were lone evident by the omission of their names from a existent database of CMA directors - came months aft Marcus Bokkerink was ousted arsenic the regulator's president by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, and Jonathan Reynolds, the past concern secretary.

He was replaced connected an interim ground by Doug Gurr, the erstwhile Amazon UK brag who is present expected to instrumentality the occupation for a longer-term stint.

One root claimed that concerns astir authorities interference successful the CMA's enactment whitethorn person been a origin successful astatine slightest 1 of the resignations - a proposition denied connected Tuesday by some the CMA and the Department for Business and Trade.

Neither Mr Mistry nor Ms Dubin, who had served connected the committee for astir six years, could beryllium reached for comment.

"We convey Dharmash and Cynthia for their enactment with the CMA," a DBT spokesperson said, adding that it did "not recognise" the proposition that either had been acrophobic astir governmental interference.

"We stay committed to the CMA's independency and privation to spot regulators supercharge the system with pro-business decisions that volition thrust prosperity and growth, and we look guardant to proceed to enactment with Sarah Cardell, Doug Gurr and the committee to present connected this ambition."

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A CMA spokesperson said: "Both erstwhile committee members near owed to different commitments and it is inaccurate to suggest otherwise.

"The CMA continues to instrumentality its decisions independently of government."