RIBA president Sunand Prasad has delivered a stern warning to presidential candidates Andrew Hanson and Ruth Reed to steer clear of attacks on the organisation that risk damaging staff morale.
“There is no question that improvements need to be made”
Sunand Prasad
At a hustings event at the House of Commons last Thursday, Hanson criticised the RIBA for a “bunker mentality”, and Reed said it had allowed a “malaise” to develop among the membership.
Responding, Prasad called on both candidates to remain responsible, while his predecessor Jack Pringle complained about the negative tone of the campaigns so far.
“If you attack the staff, it will damage morale,” Prasad said. “Candidates have to be responsible.” But he praised the energy both candidates had brought to the debate, and admitted that some of their criticisms were fair.
“There is no question that improvements need to be made,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pringle called for a more positive campaign.
“Why would you run for office if you didn’t want to change it?” he said. “But this election has been characterised by quite negative campaigns from both parties. What we really need is much more about where they can take [the RIBA].”
Speaking to BD at the Commons event, Hanson warned that the RIBA would have to “tighten its belt” as revenue declined, and said it needed to attract younger members.
“Within the RIBA world, there is a bunker mentality, a lot of empires. They don’t like talking to each other,” he said.
Reed argued the that institute needed to focus priorities. She said: “People don’t buy into what the RIBA does. Wherever I’ve been [on the campaign trail], I’ve been asked the question, what does the RIBA do for me? It would be lovely to have a short, pithy answer. But I haven’t got one.”
Both Hanson and Reed later rejected any suggestion that they were criticising staff. “Policy is owned by the institute, not individuals,” said Reed.
Hanson added: “I wanted to suggest that it is difficult to drive measures through as the RIBA’s structure is so complicated.”
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