Paddy Ashdown

Paddy Ashdown at a Chatham House event, 01 December 2011

This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch.

Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC, (born 27 February 1941), commonly known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician. Ashdown is the former leader of the Liberal Democrats; until January 2006 he was the international community's High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG) in the New Year Honours 2006.

Elite connections

'16-17 January 1998, attendance at the Franco British Colloque in Hanbury Manor, Ware, Hertfordshire. Expenses met by BP. (Registered 21 January 1998)

Affiliations

• Royal Institute for International Affairs, President.
• Defence Strategy & Solutions LLP, senior adviser (defence lobby firm)
• 'An occasionally remunerated position as President of the EU-Russia Centre a lobbying and research organisation based in Brussels and registered under Belgian law as an NGO. The aim of the Centre is to encourage and facilitate dialogue and policy development between European governments and politicians and their opposite numbers in the Russian Federation'
• paid 'Advisor' to the Good Governance Group
• Quilliam Foundation, advisor
• Other Club, member
• Good Governance Group (G3) (advice on security and governance issues world-wide), adviser. When asked by the Wall Street Journal about his work with G3, Ashdown said, "I am not one of the executives of G3, only one of its occasional advisors, whose main responsibility for G3 has been setting up and running their charitable arm."

Memorable quotes

I am convinced that, despite the disaster of Iraq, the international community has an increasingly important role in the world's hotspots.