Powerbase - User contributions [en]

Chris Smith

2008-03-24T15:51:07Z

Andrew bremner:

"The Project is one of the most valuable and eye-opening experiences I have ever had. It gives me a wonderful perspective on international relations, and an unprecedented opportunity to mix with a highly stimulating and knowledgeable group." <ref> [http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/7727/bap.htm] ;Chris Smith </ref>

Chris Smith was born in 1951 in Watford, England to mathematics teacher Gladys and whitehall civil servant Colin, and lived there until; ten years of age when the family relocated to Edinburgh as his father was transferred to the Scottish Office. <ref>[http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/chrissmith.html] <ref/>

Chris smith began his political career as a Councillor in Islington between 1978 to 1983, where he also chaired the housing commitee and was chief Labour whip. In 1997, when Labour wan their election, he was made secretary for heritage, which later was renamed minister for Culture, Media and Sport. <ref> [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/chrissmith.html] <ref/>

Chris Smith wan respect from the Left wing Labour backbenchers by opposing military intervention and the War in Iraq. What had fostered this respect from the back benchers was that the rejection of the plan to go to war was not done as an act of a 'rebelious' party member, but done out of genuine opposition to the proposed invasion.
In 2003, he lost his job as minister for Culture, Media and Sport after a series of blunders surrounding the national lottery and sporting events. <ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3029089.stm] <ref/>

Chris Smith

2008-03-24T15:08:06Z

Andrew bremner:

Chris Smith

2008-03-24T15:07:39Z

Andrew bremner:

Chris Smith

2008-03-24T12:48:33Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-24T05:14:54Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats; and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> Business Week, [http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&capId=256565&previousCapId=256565&previousTitle=British%20Airways%20Plc EXECUTIVE PROFILE Elizabeth Conway Symons]accessed 18/03/2008;

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence. <ref> Sierra Leonne News Archive [http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html]accessed 18/03/2008 </ref>

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. <ref> James Arnold [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm] 30/04/2002 </ref>

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street
<ref> Andrew Grace [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205] 12/04/2001 </ref>. Prior to this, he was employed as labour editor for Rupert Murdoch at his Times newspaper <ref> (http://www.unclenicks.net/bilderberg/www.bilderberg.org/bap.htm#Tom) <ref/>

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
<ref> BBC News Hutton Enquirey [http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf] 19/08/2003</ref>

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.<ref> Worldwide guide to Women in Leadership [http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm] accessed 18/03/2008 </ref>

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

==notes==
<references/>

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-18T10:54:35Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> Business Week, [http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&capId=256565&previousCapId=256565&previousTitle=British%20Airways%20Plc EXECUTIVE PROFILE Elizabeth Conway Symons]accessed 18/03/2008;

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence. <ref> Sierra Leonne News Archive [http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html]accessed 18/03/2008 </ref>

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. <ref> James Arnold [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm] 30/04/2002 </ref>

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
<ref> Andrew Grace [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205] 12/04/2001 </ref>

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
<ref> BBC News Hutton Enquirey [http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf] 19/08/2003</ref>

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.<ref> Worldwide guide to Women in Leadership [http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm] accessed 18/03/2008 </ref>

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

==notes==
<references/>

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-18T10:52:58Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> Business Week, [http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&capId=256565&previousCapId=256565&previousTitle=British%20Airways%20Plc EXECUTIVE PROFILE Elizabeth Conway Symons]accessed 18/03/2008;

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.
<ref> Sierra Leonne News Archive [http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html]accessed 18/03/2008 </ref>

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. <ref> James Arnold [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm] 30/04/2002 </ref>

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
<ref> Andrew Grace [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205] 12/04/2001 </ref>

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
<ref> BBC News Hutton Enquirey [http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf] 19/08/2003</ref>

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.<ref> Worldwide guide to Women in Leadership [http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm] accessed 18/03/2008 </ref>

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

==notes==
<references/>

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-18T10:33:06Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L)<ref/> <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
Id=256565&previousCapId=&previousTitle=undefined)</ref>

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.
<ref>(http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html)</ref>

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. <ref>(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm)</ref>

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
<ref>(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205)</ref>

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
<ref>(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf)</ref>

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.<ref>(http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm)</ref>

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

==notes==
<references/>

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-18T10:32:35Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L)<ref/> <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
Id=256565&previousCapId=&previousTitle=undefined)</ref>

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.
<ref>(http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html)</ref>

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. <ref>(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm)</ref>

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
<ref>(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205)</ref>

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
<ref>(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf)</ref>

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.<ref>(http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm)</ref>

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

==notes==references

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-18T10:32:15Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L)<ref/> <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
Id=256565&previousCapId=&previousTitle=undefined)</ref>

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.
<ref>(http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html)</ref>

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. <ref>(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm)</ref>

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
<ref>(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205)</ref>

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
<ref>(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf)</ref>

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.<ref>(http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm)</ref>

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-18T10:31:31Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L)<ref/> <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
Id=256565&previousCapId=&previousTitle=undefined)</ref>

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.
<ref>(http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html)</ref>

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. <ref>(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm)</ref>

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
<ref>(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205)</ref>

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf)

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.( http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm)

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-18T10:27:24Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords. <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L)<ref/> <ref> (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
Id=256565&previousCapId=&previousTitle=undefined)</ref>

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.
(http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html)

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm)

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205)

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf)

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.( http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm)

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-12T17:58:17Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords.

(http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L) (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
Id=256565&previousCapId=&previousTitle=undefined)

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.
(http://www.sierra-leone.org/slnews0698.html)

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1957320.stm)

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit in Downing Street.
(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010412/ai_n14381205)

Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.
(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2003/08/20/August19AM.pdf)

It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.( http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/United_Kingdom.htm)

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-11T13:21:06Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords.

(http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L) (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
Id=256565&previousCapId=&previousTitle=undefined)

Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence. This was a claim she had also made in 2007 when accused of being involved in the B.A.E bribery scandal after the criminal investigation into the questioned arms deal had been dropped. (http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2000 was also accused of colluding with American Deputy President Dick Chenney in the pursuit of privatisation of the military in both the U.S.A and the U.k, actually privatising the 'British government's giant Defence Evaluation and Research Agency'.(http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

Baroness Symons' husband, Phil Basset, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit between September 2002 and October 2003. It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office. (http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

"Since leaving her ministerial posts in 2005, Baroness Symons has been Tony Blair's Special Envoy to the Middle East, and to Saudi Arabia, standing as an inner-circle guard for the British-Cheney-Bandar relationship, and, by extension, the lucrative Al-Yamamah project. She is chairman of the British-Saudi Business Council, and vice president of the Middle East Association."
(http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

Elizabeth Symons

2008-03-11T04:44:02Z

Andrew bremner:

Elizabeth Symons is a 56 year old Baroness, who was created a life Peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the house of Lords. She began her career in the civil service, before becoming a trade union official in 1977 for the FDA union which represented civil servants including influential positions in Whitehall such as policy advisor's and diplomats. and then a labour minister. Until her resignation in 2005, Elizabeth Symons worked in the foreign and commonwealth office, ministry of defense, worked in the department of trade and industry, was minister of state sor the middle east and fianlly, deputy leader of the house of Lords.

(http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/board.asp?symbol=BAY.L) (http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&cap
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Her role in the foreign office was to represent the government in the house of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandyline, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Lionne in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence. This was a claim she had also made in 2007 when accused of being involved in the B.A.E bribery scandal after the criminal investigation into the questioned arms deal had been dropped. (http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the ministry of defense in 2000 was also accused of colluding with American Deputy President Dick Chenney in the pursuit of privatisation of the military in both the U.S.A and the U.k, actually privatising the 'British government's giant Defence Evaluation and Research Agency'.(http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

Baroness Symons' husband was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic communications unit between September 2002 and October 2003. It was within this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain's was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both Minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the Minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office. (http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

"Since leaving her ministerial posts in 2005, Baroness Symons has been Tony Blair's Special Envoy to the Middle East, and to Saudi Arabia, standing as an inner-circle guard for the British-Cheney-Bandar relationship, and, by extension, the lucrative Al-Yamamah project. She is chairman of the British-Saudi Business Council, and vice president of the Middle East Association."
(http://larouchepub.com/other/2007/3427bae_antilar_ops.html)

User:Andrew bremner

2008-02-05T10:15:33Z

Andrew bremner:

Im Andrew Bremner and I study sociology at [[university of strathclyde]].

User:Andrew bremner

2008-02-05T10:14:39Z

Andrew bremner:

Im Andrew Bremner and I study sociology at [[strathclyde university]].

User:Andrew bremner

2008-02-05T10:12:41Z

Andrew bremner:

Im Andrew Bremner and I study sociology at strathclyde university.