Difference between revisions of "John Laird"

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'''John Dunn Laird''', Lord Laird has been an Ulster Unionist peer since 1999.<ref name="Lordsprofile">[http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/member/2479 Lord Laird], www.parliament.uk, accessed 21 January 2013.</ref> He is a self-described "PR Guru" with his own PR and lobbying firm, [[Biscuit PR Consultancy]] based in Mayfair, London.
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'''John Dunn Laird''', Lord Laird has been an Ulster Unionist peer since 1999.<ref name="Lordsprofile">[http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/member/2479 Lord Laird], www.parliament.uk, accessed 21 January 2013.</ref> He is a self-described "PR Guru" with his own PR and lobbying firm, [[Biscuit PR Consultancy]] in Mayfair, London. In June 2013 Laird was one of several peers targeted by undercover reporters, who offered cash incentives to ask questions in the [[House of Lords]]. Laird has denied allegations that he discussed a retainer for but resigned the Ulster Unionist party whip and referred himself to the standards committee. The party suspended him from the Westminster team after seeing footage filmed by the ''Sunday Times''
  
 
==A PR Guru and a "dapper, charismatic gentleman"==
 
==A PR Guru and a "dapper, charismatic gentleman"==
[[Image:Laird_portrait_screengrab_27May2013.jpg‎|right|Caption]]
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[[Image:Laird_portrait_screengrab_27May2013.jpg‎|right|Lord Laird as he appears on his Biscuit PR website]]
 
Laird's biography on his company website - headed 'Meet The Lord Laird of Artigarvan' - is accompanied by a grand portrait and makes much of his gentlemanly standing and connections:  
 
Laird's biography on his company website - headed 'Meet The Lord Laird of Artigarvan' - is accompanied by a grand portrait and makes much of his gentlemanly standing and connections:  
  

Revision as of 03:48, 3 June 2013

John Dunn Laird, Lord Laird has been an Ulster Unionist peer since 1999.[1] He is a self-described "PR Guru" with his own PR and lobbying firm, Biscuit PR Consultancy in Mayfair, London. In June 2013 Laird was one of several peers targeted by undercover reporters, who offered cash incentives to ask questions in the House of Lords. Laird has denied allegations that he discussed a retainer for but resigned the Ulster Unionist party whip and referred himself to the standards committee. The party suspended him from the Westminster team after seeing footage filmed by the Sunday Times

A PR Guru and a "dapper, charismatic gentleman"

Lord Laird as he appears on his Biscuit PR website

Laird's biography on his company website - headed 'Meet The Lord Laird of Artigarvan' - is accompanied by a grand portrait and makes much of his gentlemanly standing and connections:

Seventeen American Presidents, Davey Crockett and two astronauts (including Neil Armstrong) and John Lord Laird all hail from an Ulster Scots background. John Laird will have you charmed at first contact. This dapper, charismatic Gentleman Biscuit brings a broad experience in almost all areas of Public Relations. He has been professionally involved in public relations since 1972; initially through Government Information agencies in New York.
Lord Laird has an impressive list of credentials, both past and present: Chairman of the Northern Ireland Branch of the Institute of Public Relations, Member of National Union of Journalists and Guild of Agricultural Journalists, Elected Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the highest award made by the CIPR. Appointed a Professor of Public Relations one of only two appointed Visiting Professor of Public Relations in the United Kingdom. In 1999 he was awarded a life Barony under the title of Laird of Artigarvan and he continues to play an active role in the House of Lords as a Cross Bencher.
Considered a PR guru Lord Laird enjoys being able to share his knowledge. He has a vast insight into how administrations work because he has been involved with them first hand – he has lobbied in both America and European parliaments. This is one man you want shouting from your corner. Lord Laird is a man of his own time. Always observing, always thinking. Speaking to him you will get a sense that you are being listened to with both ears – note the slight tilt of his head and hands on his hips. He’ll follow up that listening with action.
His life’s ambition was to be a barrister or a stand-up comedian. ‘I wasn’t clever enough for one and the Law school was full so I couldn’t do the other.’ Public Relations became his true calling.

Resignation

Laird resigned the Ulster Unionist whip in early June 2013 after he was "alleged to have offered to carry out parliamentary work for cash after being caught in two separate stings by undercover journalists posing as lobbyists".[2]

Affiliations

External resources

Notes

  1. Lord Laird, www.parliament.uk, accessed 21 January 2013.
  2. Press Association, Ulster Unionist peer resigns whip amid lobbying controversy, irishtimes.com, 2 June 2013.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Lords' Interests Amendments (since June 2010), www.parliament.co.uk, accessed 27 May 2013