Ian McCartney

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Ian McCartney (born 25 April 1951, Lennoxtown, East Dumbartonshire) is the former British Labour MP for Makerfield (1987-2010) and a former Cabinet minister.

Political career

McCartney served in the Cabinet for four years, between 2003 and 2007. He was Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (2006-2007), Minister of State for Pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions (2001-2003), Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (1999-2001), and Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (1997-1999).[1]

Nuclear links

McCartney moved into a lucrative job within the nuclear industry at the same time as the UK Government was undertaking a public consultation on the issue and then gave the go-ahead to proceed with a new generation of nuclear power plants.

The former chairman of the Labour Party and former Trade Minister was reportedly paid up to £115,000 to act as a senior adviser to Fluor Corporation, on top of his £60,000 a year MP's salary. Although the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments gave McCartney permission to take the appointment it was on condition that he did not lobby the Government for a year.

One part of lobbying is gaining privileged access to MPs. Six months after quitting his position as Trade and Industry Minister in June 2007, the press reported how McCartney was spotted in the Commons "entertaining an executive from a controversial US nuclear company". The person concerned was Flour's UK boss, Ian Thomas, who said that he was there on a "social visit". Flour was on a shortlist of four seeking to win a contract worth billions for decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear power site. Flour did not end up securing the contract a year later, losing out to rival AMEC, who had secured the services of fellow former Labour minister Richard Caborn

Affiliations

Resources and Notes

Resources


Notes and References

  1. Ian mcCartney, About Ian, accessed 27 November 2008.
  2. Deedes, henry, "Pandora: McCartney's paymasters come off second best in nuclear battle," The Independent, 23 July 2008, accessed 27 November 2008.