Laurence Westgaph is under investigation by National Museums Liverpool. Why is he still touring at the Walker Art Gallery?

Dear readers — For today’s story, we’re following up on our investigation into Laurence Westgaph being appointed and maintained as National Museums Liverpool’s (NML) historian in residence, despite allegations made against him of sexual harassment, assault, and domestic violence. As pressure continues to build on NML and the public figures who enabled him, The Post has uncovered internal emails pertaining to Westgaph’s initial hiring as well as NML’s ongoing investigation into how they’ve handled the allegations. We’ve also spoken with current and former NML staff members who are disappointed and outraged that their employer has seemingly prioritised their former historian in residence’s wellbeing over concerns for staff or visitor safeguarding. Perhaps most incredibly, Westgaph has returned to one of NML’s institutions to give one of his signature tours – despite being under internal investigation by the very same institution. All that and more below.

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This past Sunday, word quickly spread among National Museums Liverpool (NML) staff: Laurence Westgaph was back. He’d waltzed right into the Walker Art Gallery for one of his signature slavery tours – despite the fact that NML has just launched an internal investigation (to be conducted by an independent external body, they said in their statement) into allegations that he’d sexually harassed female staff members, first reported here at The Post. “I was shocked he had the balls to do that,” one employee says.

Even more shocking to the NML workers we’ve spoken with since — all on the condition of anonymity so as not to endanger their jobs — is that the next day, a senior member of management called a meeting to let the team know that if Westgaph shows up in one of their venues again, “Don’t panic.” Westgaph had been the institution’s historian in residence from 2020 until mid-2024, when his contract ended, and now he was to be treated “like a member of the public”.

For one employee, this meeting was the last straw. “What message does this send to victims of sexual violence? What if his victims are working right now?”

According to internal communications, NML made clear to staff that they wouldn’t be associating with Westgaph during the course of their internal investigation. What isn’t clear, however, is whether or not NML told Westgaph to stay away from the museums entirely during this time – and if, in showing up out of the blue, he was flagrantly defying their request. When we reached out to NML, a spokesperson said “it would not be appropriate to comment any further on the matter at this time” given their internal investigation is still open and ongoing. A lawyer representing Westgaph, meanwhile, said that their “strong advice to our client is that we should not be engaging at all with the Liverpool Post which […] appears to have an agenda against him”.

One employee guesses that the institution might be trying to avoid causing a scene or putting a staff made up primarily of women in the uncomfortable position of trying to eject Westgaph from a public venue. “He did this purposefully to say [Fuck you] to NML and to staff,” she speculates. “It’s a gross show of power because he knows we can’t do anything.”

Other employees question whether the institution should be doing more. “I get you can't punish someone for unproven accusations,” one says, “but my understanding of safeguarding procedure is that you remove that person until the end of the formal investigation.” He pointed out that it’s half term, meaning lots of children and young people will be visiting NML’s various venues this week. (Regarding Westgaph’s time at the Walker, as a spokesperson for NML said: “National Museums Liverpool’s venues are public spaces, and we always take the safeguarding of our visitors and colleagues very seriously.”)

Some staff members at NML tell The Post they felt intimidated by Westgaph showing up at the Walker. When we asked his lawyers if he worried about upsetting his former colleagues, we were told: “The Post cannot be trusted with information provided to it. As such, we will not be answering your queries.”

As Westgaph prepares to host another tour starting at the Maritime Museum this upcoming Sunday, NML staff say they feel let down by an institution that talks a big game about social justice and safeguarding. And a number of them place the blame for their disappointment squarely at the feet of NML director Laura Pye. “I think she needs to resign,” one tells The Post. “This is a massive fuckup.”