Peter Box quitting as Welcome to Yorkshire chair as departures continue at tourism agency

Peter Box is to step down as chairman of Welcome to Yorkshire.

Welcome to Yorkshire chairman Peter Box is stepping down from the troubled tourism agency - which is soon to be left with only two remaining board members, it can be revealed.

Speaking to the Wakefield Express ahead of a crunch meeting tonight about the future of the organisation following the recent resignations of chief executive James Mason and four board members, Mr Box said he did not expect to remain in post after the agency’s AGM at the start of November.

“I can’t see me chairing Welcome to Yorkshire after the AGM on November 1,” said Mr Box, the former Labour leader of Wakefield Council.

In a statement to The Yorkshire Post last night, the agency confirmed Mr Box would be departing.

Peter Box was appointed as Welcome to Yorkshire chairman following the fallout to Sir Gary Verity's departure as chief executive.

A spokesperson said: “Having completed the tasks asked of him by local government, Peter has made it known that he will not stand as chair at the WTY AGM in November.”

Mr Box was initially appointed as chair in October 2019 for 12 months in the fallout to Sir Gary Verity’s departure as chief executive and it was agreed earlier this year that he would stay on “until at least the AGM”.

He said he felt he completed the tasks initially asked of him by local Government leaders - including appointing a new chief executive, refreshing the board and overseeing a governance review which is due to be completed by the AGM in November.

Another task - the publication of two independent investigations into expenses spending and management culture at the organisation under Sir Gary Verity - was completed before he was appointed.

He told the Wakefield Express he felt he had achieved what was asked of him.

“When I took on the role it was only for a short period and that suited me, I never envisaged it as a long-term thing.”

It follows a dramatic 10 days for the agency after it was announced on Monday, September 20 that chief executive James Mason would be leaving on October 22.

At the time, Mr Mason said there was “no link” between his departure and an investigation into unspecified allegations about his conduct.

But last Thursday, board member Nicky Chance-Thompson resigned from the organisation on the grounds that she had been left “very uncomfortable” about the handling of an investigation into a complaint about Mr Mason.