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The under-fire boss of the UK Contractors Group has received a vote of confidence from the group鈥檚 chairman after he was mauled by MPs investigating blacklisting.

During an hour and a half session before the Scottish Affairs Committee last week, UKCG director Stephen Ratcliffe was told by the committee chairman that his evidence 鈥渞eflected very badly on you, on your organisation and indeed on the industry鈥�.

Conservative MP and barrister Simon Reevell asked what sanctions could be taken against Ratcliffe after saying to him: 鈥淵ou are the most evasive and potentially dishonest witness I鈥檝e encountered at this committee and frankly in 20 years of practising at the bar.鈥�

UKCG chairman James Wates said this week that Ratcliffe could survive in his position, although he admitted the impact on the industry鈥檚 reputation was 鈥渘ot good鈥�.

Wates said: 鈥淲e have seen some of the greatest business leaders in the country shredded by select committees.

鈥淗e [Ratcliffe] had prepared for it [鈥�] but he was put in a pretty difficult position.鈥�

Ratcliffe opened his evidence by reading a statement saying that blacklisting has 鈥渄amaged the reputation of the entire UK construction sector鈥�. Referring to the UKCG firms involved in the scandal, he added: 鈥淭hese companies have accepted that these actions were morally wrong and have apologised.鈥�

Chairman Ian Davidson asked Ratcliffe when he learned about blacklisting and Ratcliffe replied when the press reported it in 2009.

Davidson reminded him he was under oath, adding: 鈥淐an you understand why I find that difficult to believe?鈥�

You are the most evasive and potentially dishonest witness I鈥檝e encountered at this committee

Simon Reevell MP

Ratcliffe also said the basis for his claim that firms involved in TCA had apologised was earlier evidence given to the committee by UKCG members, coupled with the fact he had emailed his statement to all members in advance of the hearing and none had raised any concerns with it.

Ratcliffe was then forced to admit that only 鈥渇ive or six鈥� of his 32 members had replied, prompting Davidson to question Ratcliffe鈥檚 apology on behalf of members, adding: 鈥淚 think this is an attempt to deliberately mislead us.鈥�

Davidson also accused Ratcliffe of 鈥渘egligence鈥� over blacklisting for doing 鈥渧irtually nothing in four years [since TCA came to light in 2009]鈥�. Ratcliffe said that blacklisting 鈥渉asn鈥檛 been on the agenda鈥� of the UKCG in the four years since the TCA blacklist was uncovered but repeatedly stressed the organisation鈥檚 work in trying to improve safety in the industry.

In his defence Ratcliffe said it was 鈥渘ot easy to be one against a number of people [on the committee]鈥�.

This week Ratcliffe said he was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� he was unable 鈥渢o get across to the MPs that UKCG and indeed the entire industry believes blacklisting is morally wrong and should be consigned
to history鈥�.