Dennis Stevenson - Revision history

David at 08:31, 27 September 2010

2010-09-27T08:31:20Z

David at 08:29, 27 September 2010

2010-09-27T08:29:12Z

David at 08:27, 27 September 2010

2010-09-27T08:27:40Z

Claire Robinson: /* IT in schools */

2009-09-17T14:11:00Z

IT in schools

Claire Robinson at 14:06, 17 September 2009

2009-09-17T14:06:45Z

Claire Robinson: /* Big business-Labour link man */

2009-09-17T14:02:09Z

Big business-Labour link man

Claire Robinson: /* IT in Schools */

2009-07-15T12:10:00Z

IT in Schools

Claire Robinson: /* More New Labour links */

2009-07-15T11:59:09Z

Claire Robinson: /* House of Lords Appointments Commission */

2009-07-15T11:57:06Z

House of Lords Appointments Commission

Claire Robinson: /* IT in Schools */

2009-07-15T11:50:24Z

IT in Schools

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 [[Image:dennis2.jpg|right|thumb|600px|Dennis Stevenson, political networker]]
-[[Dennis Stevenson]] (Lord Stevenson of Coddenham) was born Henry Dennistoun Stevenson<ref>Hosking, P. (1993) 'Profile: Master of the low profile; Dennis Stevenson's dazzling career may soon land him atop GPA.' <i>The Independent</i> 5th September 1993.</ref>. He was born in Edinburgh on 19 July 1945 during the last few weeks of the second world war<ref><i>The Evening Standard</i> (London). 'Sixties liberal who has 'cut it' in the City;A 'Tony crony' with a powerful resume will head merged Hali-fax-BOS'. 4th May 2001</ref><ref>NNDB [http://www.nndb.com/people/370/000128983/ Dennis Stevenson] Accessed 29th October 2008</ref>. He was educated at Glenalmond College and King's College, Cambridge University<ref>NNDB [http://www.nndb.com/people/370/000128983/ Dennis Stevenson] Accessed 29th October 2008</ref>.
+[[Dennis Stevenson]] (Lord Stevenson of Coddenham) was born '''Henry Dennistoun Stevenson'''<ref>Hosking, P. (1993) 'Profile: Master of the low profile; Dennis Stevenson's dazzling career may soon land him atop GPA.' <i>The Independent</i> 5th September 1993.</ref>. He was born in Edinburgh on 19 July 1945 during the last few weeks of the second world war<ref><i>The Evening Standard</i> (London). 'Sixties liberal who has 'cut it' in the City;A 'Tony crony' with a powerful resume will head merged Hali-fax-BOS'. 4th May 2001</ref><ref>NNDB [http://www.nndb.com/people/370/000128983/ Dennis Stevenson] Accessed 29th October 2008</ref>. He was educated at Glenalmond College and King's College, Cambridge University<ref>NNDB [http://www.nndb.com/people/370/000128983/ Dennis Stevenson] Accessed 29th October 2008</ref>.
 Stevenson is a non-party aligned member of the House of Lords. In May 2000, British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] appointed Stevenson as Chairman of the [[House of Lords Appointments Commission]], which is responsible for vetting all members of the "reformed" House of Lords and choosing the "independent members"<ref>White, M. (2000) [http://www.guardian.co.uk/lords/Story/0,2763,217425,00.html Blair names Lords panel to vet 'cronies']. <i>The Guardian</i> 5th May 2000. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref>. He is an important 'fixer' behind the scenes in the interface between business, politics and the Arts. In business he has been a member of the boards of several companies including [[Economist Newspapers Ltd]], [[HBOS]]<ref>United Kingdom Parliament [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldreg/reg22.htm REGISTER OF LORDS' INTERESTS] 13th October 2008. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref>, [[Pearson]] (from 1997 to 2005) and [[Manpower]] (1998 to 2006)<ref><i>Forbes</i> [http://people.forbes.com/profile/dennis-stevenson/79408 Dennis Stevenson] Accessed 14th October 2008</ref>.
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 * May 1999 appointed Director of Halifax <ref> HBOS [http://www.hbosplc.com/abouthbos/management.asp Stevenson Dennis]. accessed February 2006</ref>.
 * July 1999 became Chairman of [[Halifax]] <ref> HBOS [http://www.hbosplc.com/abouthbos/management.asp Stevenson Dennis]. accessed February 2006</ref>
-* December 1999 - Stevenson left his role with the Board of [[English Partnerships]]<ref>English Partnerships [http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dennis+stevenson&btnGNS=Search+englishpartnerships.co.uk&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=englishpartnerships.co.uk&hl=en&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=KAV 'Annual Report 1999 - 2000'. Accessed 29th October 2008</ref>
+* December 1999 - Stevenson left his role with the Board of [[English Partnerships]]<ref>English Partnerships [http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dennis+stevenson&btnGNS=Search+englishpartnerships.co.uk&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=englishpartnerships.co.uk&hl=en&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=KAV 'Annual Report 1999 - 2000']. Accessed 29th October 2008</ref>
 * 2000 [[SRU]] sold to [[Brunswick]]
 * September 2001 became Chairman of [[HBOS plc]]
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 *[[Lord Stevenson's visit]] May 2002, British council website
-==Notes==
+==Resources==
 # Nick Cohen '[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,369530,00.html This could be you: The new Lords won't be elected but will be selected by a panel, so why not apply now?]' The Observer Sunday September 17, 2000

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−	[[Category:Politician\|Stevenson, Dennis][[Category:Bankers\|Stevenson, Dennis][[Category:House of Lords\|Stevenson, Dennis][[Category:Think Tanker\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:Special Advisers\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:New Labour nexus\|Stevenson, Dennis]]	+	[[Category:Politician\|Stevenson, Dennis][[Category:Bankers\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:House of Lords\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:Think Tanker\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:Special Advisers\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:New Labour nexus\|Stevenson, Dennis]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:27, 27 September 2010
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−	[[Category:Politician]][[Category:Bankers]][[Category:House of Lords]][[Category:Think Tanker]]	+	[[Category:Politician\|Stevenson, Dennis][[Category:Bankers\|Stevenson, Dennis][[Category:House of Lords\|Stevenson, Dennis][[Category:Think Tanker\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:Special Advisers\|Stevenson, Dennis]][[Category:New Labour nexus\|Stevenson, Dennis]]

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 Stevenson is reported to be a "personal friend" of [[Tony Blair]]. He set up the Stevenson Commission to examine the role of IT in schools<ref>Cowing, E. & Jamieson, A. (2001) 'NEW CHAIRMAN: BUSY BLUE BLOOD' <i>The Scotsman</i>. 5th May 2001</ref>. This was formally known as the Independent ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in Schools Commission 1996/97.<ref>O'Neill, B. (1998) 'A week in view'. <i>The Guardian</i> 19th November 1998</ref> Subsequently he was appointed as the PM's adviser on the application of information technology to education<ref>Cowing, E. & Jamieson, A. (2001) 'NEW CHAIRMAN: BUSY BLUE BLOOD' <i>The Scotsman</i>. 5th May 2001</ref>.
-[[SRU]] and [[Lexington Communications]] (a Labour-connected lobbyist firm started with money from Stevenson, who is a shareholder) got together an anti-BBC alliance to attack its free digital plan for schools (launched in 2002), "Digital Curriculum, a new licence-fee funded public service comprising interactive online learning materials in support of the school curriculum".<ref>[http://www.culture.gov.uk/creative/digital_curriculum_response.html Digital Curriculum Response], UK Dept for Culture, Media and Sport website, accessed 15 July 2009</ref>. The anti-BBC alliance included several big names in British commercial broadcasting. The front group, the [[Digital Learning Alliance]] brought together the [[British Educational Suppliers Association]] (advised by [[SRU]]) and the [[Publishers' Association]], along with other financially interested companies which included Stevenson's [[Pearson Education]]. The other companies involved included [[Oxford University Press]], [[Reed Elsevier]], [[Granada Learning]] and [[HarperCollins]] (which is owned by [[News Corporation]], parent company of [[The Times]]).<ref>[http://www.nera.com/MediaCoverage.asp?pr_ID=1483 BBC Online Threatens School Book Publishers]. <i>The Times</i> 16 July 2002. Accessed through NERA Economic Consulting on 14th October 2008</ref>.
+[[SRU]] and [[Lexington Communications]] (a Labour-connected lobbyist firm started with money from Stevenson)<ref>PATRICK HOSKING. Profile: Master of the low profile; Dennis Stevenson's dazzling ca-reer may soon land him atop GPA. Patrick Hosking reports. The Independent. 5th September 1993.</ref> got together an anti-BBC alliance to attack its free digital plan for schools (launched in 2002), "Digital Curriculum, a new licence-fee funded public service comprising interactive online learning materials in support of the school curriculum".<ref>[http://www.culture.gov.uk/creative/digital_curriculum_response.html Digital Curriculum Response], UK Dept for Culture, Media and Sport website, accessed 15 July 2009</ref>. The anti-BBC alliance included several big names in British commercial broadcasting. The front group, the [[Digital Learning Alliance]] brought together the [[British Educational Suppliers Association]] (advised by [[SRU]]) and the [[Publishers' Association]], along with other financially interested companies which included Stevenson's [[Pearson Education]]. The other companies involved included [[Oxford University Press]], [[Reed Elsevier]], [[Granada Learning]] and [[HarperCollins]] (which is owned by [[News Corporation]], parent company of [[The Times]]).<ref>[http://www.nera.com/MediaCoverage.asp?pr_ID=1483 BBC Online Threatens School Book Publishers]. <i>The Times</i> 16 July 2002. Accessed through NERA Economic Consulting on 14th October 2008</ref>.
 Attempts to block the BBC's free service failed and the UK government gave it the go-ahead in January 2003.<ref>[http://www.culture.gov.uk/creative/digital_curriculum_response.html Digital Curriculum Response], UK Dept for Culture, Media and Sport website, accessed 15 July 2009</ref>.

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 Stevenson is a 'lifelong' personal friend of [[Peter Mandelson]]<ref><i>Guardian</i> [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2004/jul/12/mediatop100200432 38.Dennis Stevenson] 12th July 2004. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref> and has been involved in market-friendly [[think tank]]s such as [[Demos]] and the [[Social Market Foundation]]<ref>Social Market Foundation [www.smf.co.uk/assets/files/newsletters/SMF%20Newsletter%20July.doc Newsletter 2007] Accessed 14th October 2008</ref>.  His own consultancies, including [[SRU]] and [[Cloaca Maxima Ltd]]<ref>HBOS [http://www.hbosplc.com/investors/results/annualreports/2002/HBOSplc_ARA2002_4.pdf Annual Report and Accounts 2002] Accessed 14th October 2008</ref> (named after a large Roman sewer), have important business connections.
-[[SRU]] is a secretive consultancy which Stevenson founded with [[Peter Wallis]] in the 1970s, which at the time of [[Demos]]'s launch was advising the BBC governors on the future of broadcasting and [[Gordon Brown]] on Labour's industrial policy.<ref>Hosking, P. (1993) 'Profile: Master of the low profile; Dennis Stevenson's dazzling career may soon land him atop GPA.' <i>The Independent</i> 5th September 1993.</ref>   SRU was taken over by [[Brunswick Group]] in September 2000 <ref>[http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/bpmerg00.htm]</ref> ([[Alan Parker]], Brunswick's Managing Director, was also a Director of [[Demos]] from 2002-2005 and quite possibly even earlier: Annual Reports for Demos pre-2002 are not included on their website<ref>Demos [http://www.demos.co.uk/files/File/Demos2002AnnualReport.pdf Annual Report 2002] Accessed 28th September 2008</ref><ref>Demos [http://www.demos.co.uk/files/File/Demos2005accounts.pdf Annual Report 2005. Accessed 28th September 2008</ref>). Stevenson has a shareholding in (and put up the money for) the New Labour-connected PR firm [[Lexington Communications]] (He holds 4% of shares in 2008<ref>United Kingdom Parliament [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldreg/reg22.htm REGISTER OF LORDS' INTERESTS] 13th October 2008. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref>). He also has a shareholding in the PR group [[Huntsworth]]<ref>Gordon Nesbitt, R. (2008) [http://www.variant.randomstate.org/pdfs/issue32/Variant32RGN.pdf The New Bohemia] <i>Variant</i> Issue number 32. Summer 2008. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref> run by Tory peer [[Peter Gummer]] (Lord Chadlington).
+[[SRU]] is a secretive consultancy which Stevenson founded with [[Peter Wallis]] in the 1970s<ref>Clayton Hirst, [[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1707525.html Telecoms Media Technology: Why the pink queen might turn deep red], <i>The Independent</i>. 28th July 2002. Accessed 27th September 2008, sub req'd to access full article</ref> which at the time of [[Demos]]'s launch was advising the BBC governors on the future of broadcasting and [[Gordon Brown]] on Labour's industrial policy.<ref>Hosking, P. (1993) 'Profile: Master of the low profile; Dennis Stevenson's dazzling career may soon land him atop GPA.' <i>The Independent</i> 5th September 1993.</ref>   SRU was taken over by [[Brunswick Group]] in September 2000 <ref>[http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/bpmerg00.htm]</ref> ([[Alan Parker]], Brunswick's Managing Director, was also a Director of [[Demos]] from 2002-2005 and quite possibly even earlier: Annual Reports for Demos pre-2002 are not included on their website<ref>Demos [http://www.demos.co.uk/files/File/Demos2002AnnualReport.pdf Annual Report 2002] Accessed 28th September 2008</ref><ref>Demos [http://www.demos.co.uk/files/File/Demos2005accounts.pdf Annual Report 2005. Accessed 28th September 2008</ref>). Stevenson has a shareholding in (and put up the money for) the New Labour-connected PR firm [[Lexington Communications]] (He holds 4% of shares in 2008<ref>United Kingdom Parliament [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldreg/reg22.htm REGISTER OF LORDS' INTERESTS] 13th October 2008. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref>). He also has a shareholding in the PR group [[Huntsworth]]<ref>Gordon Nesbitt, R. (2008) [http://www.variant.randomstate.org/pdfs/issue32/Variant32RGN.pdf The New Bohemia] <i>Variant</i> Issue number 32. Summer 2008. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref> run by Tory peer [[Peter Gummer]] (Lord Chadlington).
 In 1999 the Press Association ranked Stevenson as number 24 in its Top 50 "Powerful People" list. By late 2004, the Times Online ranked him as number 8 in its Power 100 list.<ref><i>Times Online</i> [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17709-1333673,00.html 8. Lord Stevenson of Coddenham] November 2004. Accessed 14th October 2008</ref>

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 ===Big business-Labour link man===
-Stevenson was an under-recognised gateway for big business into Labour and has provided a great deal of Mandelson connections, saying that Blair
+Stevenson was an under-recognised gateway for big business into Labour. He said that Blair
 :always wanted to make Labour into an alternative party of business.  There were some big businessmen who were always pro-Labour: Lord [[Clive Hollick]] and [[Chris Haskins]] for instance.  Blair wanted to meet the others, so I organised evenings where he could meet friends of mine.  People running FTSE companies... Blair has involved businessmen to a huge extent... In fact he has almost delegated power to them, I think there is a legitimate question about the extent to which that is actually right.<ref>Eleanor Mills, "Doing the business with Blair and Co", ''Sunday Times'', June 21, 1998.</ref>

@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 :it is true that I was a member of the Labour party ... for a few months 35 years ago! I have never been a member of a political party since and indeed we stopped all party political donations, including a substantial one to the Labour Party, when I took over as chairman of Pearson some years ago.<ref>Dennis Stevenson, letter to The Independent, July 2003</ref>
-===IT in Schools===
+===IT in schools===
-Stevenson is reported to be a "personal friend" of [[Tony Blair]]. He set up the Stevenson Commission to examine the role of IT in schools<ref>Cowing, E. & Jamieson, A. (2001) 'NEW CHAIRMAN: BUSY BLUE BLOOD' <i>The Scotsman</i>. 5th May 2001</ref>. This was formally known as the Independent ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in Schools Commission 1996/97.<ref>O'Neill, B. (1998) 'A week in view'. <i>The Guardian</i> 19th November 1998</ref> Subsequently he was appointed as the PM's adviser on the application of information technology to education<ref>Cowing, E. & Jamieson, A. (2001) 'NEW CHAIRMAN: BUSY BLUE BLOOD' <i>The Scotsman</i>. 5th May 2001</ref>.  This quickly went on the road to privatisation when [[SRU]] and [[Lexington Communications]] (a Labour-connected lobbyist firm started with money from Stevenson, who is a shareholder) got together an anti-BBC alliance to attack their free digital plans<ref>Reference needed</ref>. This included several big names in British commercial broadcasting.  The front group 'The [[Digital Learning Alliance]]' brought together the [[British Educational Suppliers Association]] (advised by [[SRU]]) and the [[Publishers' Association]], along with other financially interested companies which included Stevenson's [[Pearson Education]]. The other companies involved included [[Oxford University Press]], [[Reed Elsevier]], [[Granada Learning]] and [[HarperCollins]] (which is owned by [[News Corporation]], parent company of [[The Times]]).<ref>[http://www.nera.com/MediaCoverage.asp?pr_ID=1483 BBC Online Threatens School Book Publishers]. <i>The Times</i> 16 July 2002. Accessed through NERA Economic Consulting on 14th October 2008</ref>. The BBC's free service was attacked by the industry who argued that it could lead them to miss out on £400million in revenue<ref>[http://www.e-consultancy.com/news-blog/10841/bbc-under-new-fire-over-e--learning-plans.html  BBC under new fire over e-learning plans], e-consultancy, 15 July 2002 </ref>.
+Stevenson is reported to be a "personal friend" of [[Tony Blair]]. He set up the Stevenson Commission to examine the role of IT in schools<ref>Cowing, E. & Jamieson, A. (2001) 'NEW CHAIRMAN: BUSY BLUE BLOOD' <i>The Scotsman</i>. 5th May 2001</ref>. This was formally known as the Independent ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in Schools Commission 1996/97.<ref>O'Neill, B. (1998) 'A week in view'. <i>The Guardian</i> 19th November 1998</ref> Subsequently he was appointed as the PM's adviser on the application of information technology to education<ref>Cowing, E. & Jamieson, A. (2001) 'NEW CHAIRMAN: BUSY BLUE BLOOD' <i>The Scotsman</i>. 5th May 2001</ref>.
 ===House of Lords Appointments Commission===

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 :New Britain is not about being groovy: we weren't really meant to be getting on down with Tone and Robin. That was just a distraction from the real project, which is bang on track. Business, not Britpop, is the order of the day and the real players are rich FTSE 100 company chairmen.<ref>Eleanor Mills, "Doing the business with Blair and Co", ''Sunday Times'', June 21, 1998.</ref>
-[[Jeremy Paxman]] described these with "if you have a wife with an eye on a ladyship, you can't pass up the opportunity to be part of one of these new taskforces... since this government is obviously going to be in power for a long time... the usual suspects are once again vying for power and influence."  A report by Cranfield University revealed the extent to which the Taskforces — part of Blair's "commitment to change" — were peopled by key players in British companies.  [[Christopher Haskins]] of [[Northern Foods]] for instance is also on the [[Demos]] advisory board and the "New Deal" and [[Better Regulation Task Force]]s, steering British agriculture towards US-style integrated agribusiness, and British food consumption towards highly processed unhealthy preservative-packed food<ref>Reference needed</ref>.  Stevenson also pushed through the government's controversial arts policy. Blair and Culture Secretary [[Chris Smith]] met senior arts figures in what was described by Number 10 as a "listening exercise". During the discussions, which was chaired by Stevenson, Blair was said to have pledged a new commitment to state-funded arts<ref>Shaw, D. (1998) 'Now Blair tries to make peace with arts world'. <i>Evening Standard</i> 30th June 1998</ref>.
+[[Jeremy Paxman]] commented on these task forces as follows:
 ==Corporate Connections==

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 ===House of Lords Appointments Commission===
-Former UK prime minister Tony Blair made Stevenson Chairman of the [[House of Lords Appointments Commission]] responsible for vetting all members of the 'reformed' House of Lords and choosing the 'independent members'. This Commission is also referred to as the 'Stevenson Commission' and it has been criticised as a 'model by which a democratic parliament can be avoided' as 'the only way anyone will become a Lords legislator, whether on the party or non-party ticket, will be by grace and favour of the Stevenson commission'<ref>Young, H. (2000) 'Comment & Analysis: Hereditaries; life peers; and now, the Stevenson lords: Next week, the pilot version of a new politician-factory cranks up'. <i>The Guardian</i> 7 September 2000</ref>
+Former UK prime minister Tony Blair made Stevenson Chairman of the [[House of Lords Appointments Commission]] responsible for vetting all members of the "reformed" House of Lords and choosing the "independent members". This Commission is also referred to as the 'Stevenson Commission' and it has been criticised as a "model by which a democratic parliament can be avoided' as 'the only way anyone will become a Lords legislator, whether on the party or non-party ticket, will be by grace and favour of the Stevenson commission".<ref>Young, H. (2000) 'Comment & Analysis: Hereditaries; life peers; and now, the Stevenson lords: Next week, the pilot version of a new politician-factory cranks up'. <i>The Guardian</i> 7 September 2000</ref>
 ===English Partnerships===