Difference between revisions of "John Hayes"

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In July 2013 ''The Mail on Sunday'' published claims that 'climate change sceptic' Hayes had been fired as energy minister in March for 'secretly plotting to persuade an electricity boss to challenge Government policy'. It said it established that just two weeks prior to Hayes being demoted to 'a minor backroom role in Number 10, that he had:
 
In July 2013 ''The Mail on Sunday'' published claims that 'climate change sceptic' Hayes had been fired as energy minister in March for 'secretly plotting to persuade an electricity boss to challenge Government policy'. It said it established that just two weeks prior to Hayes being demoted to 'a minor backroom role in Number 10, that he had:
:secretly met [[E.on]] chief executive [[Tony Cocker]] on March 13 and urged him to help postpone the closure of power stations such as Kingsnorth in Kent. <ref> Simon Walters, [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2362772/Climate-change-sceptic-energy-minister-fired-security-asking-energy-companies-warn-blackouts-unless-coalition-watered-green-crusade.html#ixzz2Z7CqFnPn Climate change sceptic energy minister fired for security asking energy companies to warn of blackouts unless coalition watered down its green crusade], 13 July 2013, acc 15 July 2013 </ref>
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:...secretly met [[E.on]] chief executive [[Tony Cocker]] on March 13 and urged him to help postpone the closure of power stations such as Kingsnorth in Kent. <ref> Simon Walters, [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2362772/Climate-change-sceptic-energy-minister-fired-security-asking-energy-companies-warn-blackouts-unless-coalition-watered-green-crusade.html#ixzz2Z7CqFnPn Climate change sceptic energy minister fired for security asking energy companies to warn of blackouts unless coalition watered down its green crusade], 13 July 2013, acc 15 July 2013 </ref>
  
Recently released ministerial disclosures show that Hayes met with EON sometime in March 2013 to discuss 'energy policy issues'.
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Ministerial disclosures show that Hayes met with Eon sometime in March 2013 to discuss 'energy policy issues'.
  
 
Hayes also discussed 'energy policy issues' with a range of nuclear industry representatives, including the UK [[Nuclear Industry Council]] (twice in February 2013), [[AREVA]] and [[GDF Suez|GDF Suez Energy UK]].
 
Hayes also discussed 'energy policy issues' with a range of nuclear industry representatives, including the UK [[Nuclear Industry Council]] (twice in February 2013), [[AREVA]] and [[GDF Suez|GDF Suez Energy UK]].

Revision as of 14:30, 30 September 2014

Nuclear spin.png This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

John Hayes was appointed as UK Prime Minister David Cameron's senior parliamentary adviser at No 10 Downing Street in a surprise mini-reshuffle in late March 2013, after serving just seven months as Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

He was appointed a Minister of State at the Department for Transport in July 2014.[1]

He is the MP for South Holland and the Deepings.

Anti-wind stance provokes in-fighting at DECC

Hayes had replaced energy minister Charles Hendry in September 2012 but his controversial tenure and strong anti-wind farm stance brought in-fighting at the department. "Ferocious clashes" with his boss the Liberal Democrat energy secretary Ed Davey had, according to the Guardian, prompted Davey to write to the prime minister to demand that Hayes be taken off the windfarm portfolio. Although Cameron had taken no action at the time, the mini-reshuffle was viewed as an acknowledgement that such "mixed messages at the department were alienating potential [renewable energy] business investors" and the government's commitment to low-carbon energy. [2]

Variously described as a "robust right-winger" and, in his own words, "the personification of blue-collar conservatism", [3] Hayes was previously a Minister of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.[4]

Along with Labour MP David Cairns, Hayes was a parliamentary chairman for the pro-American America In The World, also known as the London Centre for the Study of Anti-Americanism, launched in October 2008.[5]


Claims of plotting with energy company Eon

In July 2013 The Mail on Sunday published claims that 'climate change sceptic' Hayes had been fired as energy minister in March for 'secretly plotting to persuade an electricity boss to challenge Government policy'. It said it established that just two weeks prior to Hayes being demoted to 'a minor backroom role in Number 10, that he had:

...secretly met E.on chief executive Tony Cocker on March 13 and urged him to help postpone the closure of power stations such as Kingsnorth in Kent. [6]

Ministerial disclosures show that Hayes met with Eon sometime in March 2013 to discuss 'energy policy issues'.

Hayes also discussed 'energy policy issues' with a range of nuclear industry representatives, including the UK Nuclear Industry Council (twice in February 2013), AREVA and GDF Suez Energy UK.

Other energy firm meetings included UK Coal, Drax, Shell, Scottish Power, Exxon Mobile, Dana Petroleum, Carlton Power, British Gas and SSE between February and March 2013. [7]

Affiliations

External resources

Notes

  1. Ministerial appointments: July 2014, Prime Minister's Office, 15 July 2014.
  2. Patrick Wintour,Energy minister John Hayes switches to No 10 role in surprise reshuffle, guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 March 2013 21.07 GMT
  3. Tim Montgomerie, John Hayes: "I am the personification of Blue Collar Conservatism", Conservativehome.blogs.com, January 11, 2013, acc 3 April 2013
  4. Full list of new cabinet ministers and other government appointments, guardian.co.uk, 13 May 2010.
  5. About AITW, America In The World, 17 August 2008, accessed 27 October 2012
  6. Simon Walters, Climate change sceptic energy minister fired for security asking energy companies to warn of blackouts unless coalition watered down its green crusade, 13 July 2013, acc 15 July 2013
  7. [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212659/john_hayes_meetings_external_organisations_jan_mar_2013.pdf DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE QUARTERLY INFORMATION January – March 2013, Meetings with External Organisations, published 15 July 2013 acc 29 October 2013