A group of artists has protested to Gordon Brown that the recent reappointment of Sir Nicholas Serota as director of the Tate Gallery was achieved through “sleight of hand”.

The Stuckist artists, founded in 1999 to counter trends in contemporary art and promote figurative painting, believe that the appointment did not comply with employment rules and that it should have been approved by the Prime Minister. Leo Goatley, the solicitor who acted for Rose West (convicted of ten murders at Cromwell Street, Gloucestershire – her husband Fred hanged himself before trial) says the Tate trustees “relied on a dubious interpretation of the law”. Mr Goatley, also an artist, said they were applying employment laws retrospectively to secure Sir Nicholas’s appointment.

Mr Goatley said: “Given their duty as a public body, it would have been fit and proper to have gone through the laid-down procedure. This is less than transparent and relies on a grey area of the law.” Charles Thompson, co-founder of the Stuckists, said: “There needs to be an official inquiry into how the Tate is run. It’s a national disgrace.” The trustees said no formal renewal was needed as Sir Nicholas had effectively become a permanent employee.

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