Straw accused of Wembley 'cronyism'

Wembley Stadium faces an uncertain future

The government's appointment of Home Secretary Jack Straw's best man and school friend as Wembley's new stadium supremo has led to allegations of "cronyism".

Earlier this month the Football Association (FA) announced it was unable to fund the redevelopment of the national stadium, in north London, without government help.

The £475m project is now in limbo after the FA was unable to secure sufficient funding from City backers.

Although the government says it is not responsible for the project, it has agreed to set up a committee to consider a way forward.

Murray overlooked

Patrick Carter, a non-executive director of the Prison Service with no experience of stadium construction or management, was appointed adviser on the future of the floundering English national stadium project by the committee, which is chaired by the home secretary.

Mr Carter was selected ahead of Sunderland chairman Bob Murray, who had overseen the construction of the city's 48,000-seat Stadium of Light for just £23m.

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Glanmor Griffiths, who was responsible for the development of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, was also overlooked.

Mr Carter, who recently analysed the finances of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, has been given the task of discovering whether the national stadium can be built at Wembley or whether it should start from scratch elsewhere.

Old mistakes

Ironically ministers are thought to have rejected Mr Murray, fearing his history as a Labour donor would spark accusations of "cronyism".

Jack Straw went to the same school as Mr Carter

In January, the government came under fire after it emerged its preferred bidder to buy the Millennium Dome, Legacy's Robert Bourne, had donated £33,000 to the Labour Party during the bidding process.

The selection of Mr Carter, who went to Brentwood School with Mr Straw in the 1960s and was his best man, twice, has prompted similar claims.

Shadow culture secretary Peter Ainsworth said many people would draw their own conclusions from Mr Carter's relationship to Mr Straw and his appointment.

"You might have thought that after four years of being accused of cronyism, this government might have treated this a little differently," Mr Ainsworth told the Evening Standard newspaper.

'Chosen on merits'

Liberal Democrat sports spokesman Bob Russell said the appointment seemed insensitive after previous allegations of cronyism.

"If it is true that the person who has been appointed as adviser is a friend of the Labour hierarchy, it's clear they haven't learned the lessons of the Millennium Dome fiasco," he told BBC News Online.

Mr Carter is a direct investor in US and European healthcare and technology businesses and a former director of United News and Media which founded Westminster Health Care, a company he sold for £325m in 1999.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said Mr Carter had wide experience in setting up companies and fundraising and was chosen on his merits.

She said the post was not just about building a football stadium.

"The ministerial group decided his experience was most relevant to the scheme," he said.

She said she doubted the relationship between Mr Straw and Mr Carter was considered by the committee.

Mr Carter was not available for comment.