David Manning
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This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch. |
Sir David Manning is a former senior British diplomat, most famous for being the British Ambassador to the US during the war in Iraq.
Manning served as foreign policy adviser to the British prime minister from 2001 until 2003[1] and before that was deputy under-secretary of state for defence and intelligence and a member of the Foreign Office Board. [2] After retiring as a diplomat, Manning took up non-executive directorships at BG Group in July 2008 and at arms firm Lockheed Martin UK Holdings Ltd in November 2008. He was also a director of corporate intelligence firm Hakluyt's advisory board from 2008 until 2012.[3]
Background
Educated at Ardingly College, David Manning went on to study at Oriel College, Oxford; and then at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University.
Beginning a 35-year-career at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1972, Manning has served in embassies in Warsaw, New Delhi, Paris, Moscow, and Tel Aviv; and has represented Britain and its interests in Brussels.
Manning developed close ties with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a foreign policy advisor. This relationship suggests that he was a key figure in driving British foreign policy towards America, particularly after the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001. During his time in this post, he developed close ties in across the Atlantic and in 2003; he was appointed British Ambassador to the United States of America.[4]
As ambassador, he was responsible for writing the 2003 Iraq memo, or ‘Manning memo’ as it became to be known. This was the secret memo of a meeting between former American President George W. Bush, and Tony Blair. The memo was controversial due to its content, which suggested that the pair had agreed to carry out an invasion of Iraq regardless of whether or not weapons of mass destruction were found by United Nations weapons inspectors.
After leaving his ambassadorial role in 2007, Manning has taken up Non-Executive roles on the Board of Directors for Lloyds Banking Group plc; BG Group (formerly British Gas plc); and also Lockheed Martin UK Holdings Ltd, which is the international military arms manufacturer that has made millions supplying the military hardware for the war in Iraq. He is also on the advisory board of Hakluyt & Company, an intelligence company partly staffed by former MI6 officers.[5] His role with Hakluyt was approved by ACOBA "subject to the condition that, for 12 months from his last day of Crown service, he should not be personally involved in lobbying UK Government Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of his new employer".[6]
In 2009 Manning was appointed by The Queen, to a part-time advisory role in the Household of HRH Prince William and HRH Prince Harry.
He is a trustee of Turner Contemporary.
Affiliations
- Non-executive director and adviser to the chief executive, Lockheed Martin UK Holdings Ltd, November 2008. Role was approved by ACOBA "subject to the condition that, for 12 months from his last day of Crown service, he should not be personally involved in lobbying UK Government Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of his new employer".[6]
- The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House)
- Gatehouse Advisory Partners
- Council of Lloyds of London
- London School of Economics IDEAS advisory board
- Non-executive director, Lloyds TSB Group plc, announced February 2008 and taken up in May 2008. Approved by ACOBA "subject to the normal three-month waiting period and the condition that, for 12 months from his last day of service, he should not be personally involved in lobbying UK Government Ministers or officials of behalf of Lloyds TSB Group plc"[7]
- Non-executive director, BG Group plc, July 2008. Approved by ACOBA "subject to the condition that, for 12 months from his last day of Crown service, he should not be personally involved in lobbying UK Government Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of his new employer".[6]
External resources
- Iraq Inquiry, Oral Evidence, 30 November 2010.
- John Kampfner, NS Profile - David Manning, New Statesman, 23 September 2002.
Notes
- ↑ First witnesses named for public hearings, Iraq Inquiry, 16 November 2009.
- ↑ Gatehouse Advisory Sir David Manning, n.d., last accessed 23 March 2018
- ↑ Sir David Manning GCMG CVO , BG Group, accessed 17 December 2010.
- ↑ "New Statesman", New Statesman Profile of David Manning, Accessed 19 October
- ↑ "About BG", BG Group - About BG - Board of Directors, Accessed 19 October 2010
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Tenth Report 2008-2009 Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, accessed 25 November 2014
- ↑ The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Ninth Report 2006-2008 Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, accessed 6 November 2014
