• 21.07.2025

‘Brushed under the carpet’: National Museums Liverpool concludes its Laurence Westgaph inquiry

NML says it acted “appropriately” in dealing with complaints about its resident historian

Dear readers — Last week was a roller coaster here at Post HQ. First and foremost, we want to thank our readers for their support after Abi published her editor’s note, explaining how Liverpool historian Laurence Westgaph has been threatening us with High Court action.

As we explained in that piece, we will not retract our stories, which we stand by fully. And as the situation develops over the coming weeks, we’ll continue to keep you updated.

Today’s big story will focus on a separate thread that we also believe is in the public interest. After our initial investigation into Laurence Westgaph was published in February, National Museums Liverpool (NML) quickly announced it would be launching an inquiry into their internal practices, as well as Westgaph’s “alleged conduct while under freelance appointment with National Museums Liverpool”. We can now report the results of that inquiry, as well as the concerns of some employees, who have told us they are disappointed by its limited scope.

We have contacted NML for comment on six occasions over the past three weeks, but they have chosen not to reply. We also contacted Laurence Westgaph for comment, but he did not provide us with a response for this story.

Producing this kind of journalism takes months of research, rigorous fact-checking and innumerable interviews with sources. If you want more stories like this delivered directly to you via email, you can sign up to our mailing list for free using the button below. You’ll be joining 32,000+ readers already on our list, and you'll also be supporting us in our mission to deliver a renaissance in high quality local journalism.

Subscribe now

200 local artists take over the Liver Building

From today’s sponsor: Liverpool Art Fair has championed the work of local artists for over a decade. It returns to the Royal Liver Building from 11th July to 25th August to continue celebrating with over 200 selected artists. The Fair welcomes all and seeks to lower the boundaries to the arts world, with work priced from £20 to £2000. Throughout the summer, you can also get involved at workshops that encourage you to get artsy and experiment with the different mediums on show for yourself. Admission is free and everyone is encouraged!

Learn more

The big story: National Museums Liverpool concludes its Laurence Westgaph inquiry

Top line: Five months after launching an inquiry into allegations made about historian Laurence Westgaph, National Museums Liverpool (NML) has concluded its investigation. In an email leaked to The Post, NML told staff the inquiry found it “had acted appropriately and in line with its policies” — including “the way in which NML dealt with concerns raised about Laurence Westgaph”. The email said unspecified “lessons” drawn from the review would be shared "internally". Strangely, given how public its statement about the investigation was, NML has not published anything or provided any on-the-record comment to The Post about its conclusions.

Context: Back in February, NML — which runs eight sites across Liverpool including the International Slavery Museum and Walker Art Gallery — issued a statement explaining they were launching an “internal investigation” in relation to their former Historian In Residence’s “alleged conduct while under freelance appointment with National Museums Liverpool”.

The allegations: The inquiry followed a Post investigation into Westgaph, who worked at NML between August 2020 and June 2024. After speaking to more than a dozen sources, we uncovered a pattern of alleged abusive and coercive behaviour towards his ex-partners – including allegations of sexual violence, stalking and harassment. Former colleagues of his at NML also told us he made numerous young women at the museums feel uncomfortable. In response to the allegations at the time, Westgaph told us he “categorically den[ied] all wrongdoing”.

An illustration of Laurence Westgaph by Jake Greenhalgh

The inquiry: In an email sent to staff on 27th February, NML explained the internal inquiry would be carried out by Brap, an equalities and human rights charity based in Birmingham, in order to maintain a “fair, impartial and professional investigation”. The email acknowledged The Post’s article “raised several issues and questions about [NML’s] practices”, adding that Brap would ascertain if there had been any breaches of NML’s Code of Conduct in relation to the following areas:

Recruitment and appointment process
Handling of complaints and concerns raised internally and externally
Safeguarding and duty of care
Transparency and governance, in particular when responding to Freedom of Information requests

“The review will seek to engage people anonymously and there will be protections in place to allow for honest dialogue about potentially sensitive information,” NML added.

A ‘procurement’ problem? Three NML employees — who have asked not be named out of fear of retribution from NML and Westgaph — have since told The Post that despite the range of allegations made against Westgaph, the inquiry mainly focused on the procurement process in relation to hiring him. As a publicly funded organisation, NML is required to undertake a tendering process for large expenditures, to ensure they are obtaining best value.

One employee who worked at NML at the time of Westgaph’s hiring says this procedure “was clearly not followed”. NML explained then that the position of Historian in Residence was created for him in the wake of the racial reckoning that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

New information: We can reveal that NML paid Westgaph £66,449.74 over the course of his nearly four-year employment, according to information the organisation provided in response to a Freedom of Information request filed by The Post. They told us the role was valued at £20k per year, with an estimated total cost of £90k over five years. NML gets most of its income from the taxpayer via grants from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and in the financial year 2022-2023 the organisation received £21.9 million in operational funding from the department.

The International Slavery Museum on Albert Dock. Photo: NML/X

“Learning points”: After multiple requests from The Post for an update on the investigation, on 10th July NML emailed staff explaining that the inquiry “found National Museums Liverpool had acted appropriately and in line with its policies” — including “the way in which NML dealt with concerns raised about Laurence Westgaph”. They added that while they had identified “learning points” from the report, these would be dealt with “internally”. Very little detail was given about those learning points or how the investigation’s conclusions had been come to — the email itself was just five short paragraphs.

The reaction: “I’m furious about it,” one employee tells us. Another adds that the results of the report were “very concerning”, and did not properly address questions about how Westgaph was given his role at the museum, and how complaints about him were handled. “It just feels like it’s been brushed under the carpet.”

The email to staff only directly addresses the first point of inquiry outlined by investigator Brap — the “recruitment and appointing process” — and it remains unclear whether the “learning points” cover issues of transparency and governance, safeguarding and the complaints process. We asked NML if they plan to disclose the “learning points” of the inquiry, but they did not respond to our requests for comment.

A private meeting: At the beginning of June, Westgaph called an emergency meeting with his friends and associates. In that meeting, according to sources close to those in attendance, Westgaph declared he had been exonerated by the NML investigation. We asked Westgaph for comment on this, but he did not provide us with a response.

In a later email to The Post, Westgaph also claimed that NML and their lawyers, Birmingham-based firm Weightmans, had confirmed to him that he was “not at any time under investigation by NML”. We asked both NML and Weightmans about these statements, but they did not respond. It’s unusual for a publicly-funded body like NML not to respond to repeated requests for comment on a matter of public importance like this.

Requesting data: According to two people on staff at NML, in recent months Westgaph has filed Subject Access Requests (SARs) to the museums, in order to obtain information about whistle blowers who spoke to The Post earlier this year. As our editor’s note last week explained, Westgaph has also been sending SARs to his ex-partners in an attempt to obtain private messages and sensitive information about them. Individuals processing personal data for purely personal reasons are not required to comply with SARs, as is explained on the Information Commissioner Office’s website.

NML return? Staff at the museums also say Westgaph has begun lobbying NML to get his old job back. Westgaph’s contract as Historian in Residence was terminated 10 months prior to our investigation into his alleged abuse. We asked Westgaph about his claims about the NML investigation, his SARs and his attempts to be rehired by NML. He did not answer our questions.

Know any more about this story? Email editor@livpost.co.uk.

Share this story

We have turned off comments for this piece to ensure we do not prejudice ongoing legal proceedings. Please email any thoughts or comments to editor@livpost.co.uk.

Photo of the week

Not exactly a picture, but something we had to show you after we spotted this on Reddit. Legendary producer and rapper Madlib has released a new instrumental album. The cover? The city’s finest, Liverpool Met.

“I’m from Chicago but have spent a lot of time in Liverpool and think it’s one of the best cities on earth, saw this cover and did a spit take. Maybe game just recognizes game,” one Reddit user wrote. We can’t wait to give it a listen.

Have a photo you want to submit to The Post? Email it to editor@livpost.co.uk for a chance to be featured in our Monday briefings.

Your Post briefing

Four people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act in Liverpool city centre. During the 160th pro-Palestine demonstration through the city since the October 2023 attacks, Merseyside Police said they arrested a 65-year-old man from Brighton-le-Sands, a 28-year-old man from Garston, a 72-year-old man from Mossley Hill and 74-year-old woman from Kensington on suspicion of wearing or carrying an article supporting a proscribed organisation. The latter person, Audrey White — a member of the Merseyside Pensioners Association — was taken to St Anne’s police station where a protest group demanded her release. The four were demonstrating against the Israeli government’s military action in Gaza, which has killed nearly 59,000 people and has been labelled a genocide by academic experts and international human rights groups.

Audrey White arrested yesterday. Photo: X

Several building projects around Merseyside are ready to go: Great Homer Street market is to undergo a £5 million upgrade. Part of a Levelling Up package approved by the previous government, the refurbishment of the 185-year-old market will include demolishing derelict industrial units and building a new food and drink area, a space for community events, and new seating areas. Meanwhile, Liverpool City Council have approved £6 million to regenerate the “Fabric District” around London Road and Monument Place. The latter will become a city square, while better transport links are planned for the area. Finally, works to repair Southport Pier — shut by the council in 2022 amid safety concerns — could start within weeks of funding being agreed. The closure of the Victorian pier is thought to have had a significant impact on the town's leisure and tourism industry, but last month chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the site could benefit from a new fund aimed at "forgotten" local projects.

The trial of Joe Anderson has been delayed by six months. The former mayor was due to stand trial in October alongside four others, including former deputy council leader Derek Hatton. However, at a Manchester Crown Court hearing, a judge ordered the trial to now go ahead on 5th April 2027. Anderson is charged with bribery, misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, while Hatton is accused of offering a bribe and counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office. Ten others, including Mr Hatton's wife Sonjia and Mr Anderson's son David, have also been charged as part of Operation Aloft.

And the Green Party has successfully held its council seat in the Sefton Park by-election. Katie Jarman was elected to serve as member for the ward after receiving 468 votes. With 49.8% of the vote, Jarman's win represents a 7-point drop from her predecessor John Howard’s 2023 win. The runners up Labour also received a reduction in their vote percentage, with their candidate Connor Campbell experiencing an 11% swing away from the current party of government. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats and Reform increased their vote share by over 15 and 5 points respectively. The Tories finished in a distant last place with 1.5%, a 3 point drop from 2023.

Post Picks

📖Controversial author Irvine Welsh is at the Everyman this Wednesday to promote his new novel Men in Love, the sequel to Trainspotting. To book tickets, click here.

🎸The legendary Deaf School — once described as the only other band from Liverpool that mattered — will be playing their second gig at the Philharmonic… 50 years after the first. Click here to get tickets for an historic event.

🍺The New Brighton Food and Drink Festival returns to the Dips from Friday to Sunday. A free-entry family event, just turn up for refreshments, attractions, rides, and local unsigned acts across two stages.