The Association of Colleges's decision to halt abruptly an independent inquiry into the alleged "impropriety" of AoC chief executive Roger Ward, after his hasty resignation last week, has sparked outrage in a further education sector eager for a full account of Ward's activities. Apparently it has also baffled the inquiry team at McKeag and Co solicitors in Newcastle.
This week, Clive McKeag was philosophical about his work's abrupt end: "The AoC felt that it could not justify the public expense of continuing the inquiry now that Mr Ward has gone. I can't see much point in going on if Mr Ward is now no longer there." Last week, however, almost 24 hours after the AoC board decided to stop the inquiry and hours after the press had been notified, Mr McKeag was less clear. "I've been working on the Ward case this morning, and we made some good progress."