LLM Communications - Revision history

Melissa Jones at 23:08, 7 October 2014

2014-10-07T23:08:30Z

Melissa Jones: typos

2010-08-29T22:21:21Z

typos

David: /* Lobbygate */

2010-08-29T10:29:45Z

Lobbygate

David: /* Selected clients */

2010-08-29T10:29:27Z

Selected clients

David: /* Ownership */

2010-08-29T10:28:59Z

Ownership

Lucy Brown at 00:30, 29 August 2010

2010-08-29T00:30:40Z

Steven Harkins: /* Lobbygate */

2010-07-18T17:14:24Z

Lobbygate

Claire Robinson at 19:10, 13 February 2010

2010-02-13T19:10:50Z

Claire Robinson at 15:33, 13 February 2010

2010-02-13T15:33:47Z

David: /* Ownership */

2010-02-13T09:01:18Z

Ownership

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 {{Template:Foodspin badge}}
 {{Template:Lobbying_Portal_badge}}
 '''LLM Communications''' was a UK lobbying firm, formed in 1997 by former Labour Party aides. It was at the centre of the 1998 [[LobbyGate]] "Cash for access" scandal, which rocked the relatively new New Labour administration<ref>[http://www.gregpalast.com/printerfriendly.cfm?artid=73]</ref>. It had approximately 20 employees and 30 clients. In 2003 [[Neal Lawson]] sold his shares in the company which completed a Management Buy Out.<ref>[http://www.cobaltcf.com/_uploads/LLMCommunications.pdf]</ref> In July 2005 LLM was acquired by financial PR group [[Financial Dynamics]].

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 '''[http://www.powerbase.info/index.php?title=Lobbying_Portal Back to Lobbying Portal]'''<br>
-'''LLM Communications''' was a UK lobbying firm, formed in 1997 by former Labour Party aides. It was at centre of the the 1998 [[LobbyGate]] "Cash for access" scandal, which rocked the relatively new New Labour administration<ref>[http://www.gregpalast.com/printerfriendly.cfm?artid=73]</ref>. It had approximately 20 employees and 30 clients. In 2003 [[Neal Lawson]] sold his shares in the company which completed a Management Buy Out.<ref>[http://www.cobaltcf.com/_uploads/LLMCommunications.pdf]</ref> In July 2005 LLM was acquired by financial PR group [[Financial Dynamics]].
+'''LLM Communications''' was a UK lobbying firm, formed in 1997 by former Labour Party aides. It was at the centre of the 1998 [[LobbyGate]] "Cash for access" scandal, which rocked the relatively new New Labour administration<ref>[http://www.gregpalast.com/printerfriendly.cfm?artid=73]</ref>. It had approximately 20 employees and 30 clients. In 2003 [[Neal Lawson]] sold his shares in the company which completed a Management Buy Out.<ref>[http://www.cobaltcf.com/_uploads/LLMCommunications.pdf]</ref> In July 2005 LLM was acquired by financial PR group [[Financial Dynamics]].
 ==People==

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 ==Lobbygate==
-LLM became notorious in July 1998 when they were caught up in the 'Lobbygate' controversy. Working as an undercover reporter for ''The Observer'', Greg Palast, posing as a US businessman with ties to Enron, caught on tape two Labour party insiders, [[Derek Draper]] and LLM's Mendelsohn, boasting about how they could sell access to government ministers, obtain advance copies of sensitive reports, and create tax breaks for their clients. For example, it was revealed that [[Ben Lucas]] claimed he had given away details of one of Gordon Brown's speeches to a client before the speech was made and knew details of public spending announcements in advance. LLM said that they were a conduit from the Labour Government to business (as well as the other way round), procuring a steady stream of executives to feed the Labour Party's appetite for business contacts. This process included [[News International]], where Ben Lucas said that the Government had sought out business, rather than business asking the lobbying firm for Government contacts.<ref>[http://www.gregpalast.com/browns-fixer-explains-how-its-donejon-mendelsohn-and-the-secret-tape/ Brown's Fixer Explains How It's Done:
+LLM became notorious in July 1998 when they were caught up in the 'Lobbygate' controversy. Working as an undercover reporter for ''The Observer'', Greg Palast, posing as a US businessman with ties to Enron, caught on tape two Labour party insiders, [[Derek Draper]] and LLM's Mendelsohn, boasting about how they could sell access to government ministers, obtain advance copies of sensitive reports, and create tax breaks for their clients. For example, it was revealed that [[Ben Lucas]] claimed he had given away details of one of Gordon Brown's speeches to a client before the speech was made and knew details of public spending announcements in advance. LLM said that they were a conduit from the Labour Government to business (as well as the other way round), procuring a steady stream of executives to feed the Labour Party's appetite for business contacts. This process included [[News International]], where Ben Lucas said that the Government had sought out business, rather than business asking the lobbying firm for Government contacts.<ref>[http://www.gregpalast.com/browns-fixer-explains-how-its-donejon-mendelsohn-and-the-secret-tape/ Brown's Fixer Explains How It's Done: Jon Mendelsohn and the Secret Tape], Greg Palast, accessed Feb 2009</ref>
 LLM also spent more than £5,000 on 'Tickets for Dinners' for their clients to attend Labour Party functions in 1998. Their clients include [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s [[News International]], [[Tesco]], [[Orange]] and [[KPMG]] (consultants with a large number of Government contracts).

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 [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s Union-busting [[News International]] hired LLM in 1998. They wanted advice on getting the Government to change the Fairness At Work legislation that allowed Unions to ballot for workplace recognition. [[Ben Lucas]] suggested that News International should base their strategy on 'selecting aspects of the Bill which can be argued are unworkable.' Ben Lucas was the Head of research for building worker's Union [[UCATT]] for 5 years until 1992. Now he is advising Rupert Murdoch on how to beat the Unions! When he was asked how he could square such seemingly conflicting interests he said 'It's like in the movie, The Godfather. We tell them, its just business.'
-When the Government proposed a tax on supermarket car parking spaces, which would have cost [[Tesco]] millions, they brought in LLM who advised Tesco to change their approach (by playing off a contribution to community transport against paying the tax) and sponsor the Dome. The tax was dropped in July 1998, in circumstances that The Observer's undercover journalist Greg Palast described as 'they were able to get out of [the] tax by a fix that LLM made, which saved them £40 million a year.'<ref>[http://www.gregpalast.com/browns-fixer-explains-how-its-donejon-mendelsohn-and-the-secret-tape/ Brown's Fixer Explains How It's Done:
+When the Government proposed a tax on supermarket car parking spaces, which would have cost [[Tesco]] millions, they brought in LLM who advised Tesco to change their approach (by playing off a contribution to community transport against paying the tax) and sponsor the Dome. The tax was dropped in July 1998, in circumstances that The Observer's undercover journalist Greg Palast described as 'they were able to get out of [the] tax by a fix that LLM made, which saved them £40 million a year.'<ref>[http://www.gregpalast.com/browns-fixer-explains-how-its-donejon-mendelsohn-and-the-secret-tape/ Brown's Fixer Explains How It's Done: Jon Mendelsohn and the Secret Tape], Greg Palast, accessed Feb 2009</ref>
 Finally, LLM was paid by its client The [[Town and Country Finance Issues Group]] (TACFIG) to do research and preparation for [[Town and Country APPG]] meetings.

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 [[Steve Rubin]], the multi-millionaire businessman who once owned [[Reebok]], is the main backer behind LLM. He put the initial money into LLM which allowed them to buy prestigious offices in Soho.
-According to Tory MP [[John Redwood]], LLM is 40 per cent owned by Robert Stevens Holdings, which in turn is owned by trustees in Jersey, Bedell and Cristin. Bedell and Cristin Trustees is owned by Premier Circle Ltd. and Second Circle Ltd., which is owned by Premier Circle Ltd. and Third Circle Ltd., which is owned by Premier Circle Ltd. and Second Circle Ltd. [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo980713/debtext/80713-08.htm]
+According to Tory MP [[John Redwood]], LLM is 40 per cent owned by Robert Stevens Holdings, which in turn is owned by trustees in Jersey, Bedell and Cristin. Bedell and Cristin Trustees is owned by Premier Circle Ltd. and Second Circle Ltd., which is owned by Premier Circle Ltd. and Third Circle Ltd., which is owned by Premier Circle Ltd. and Second Circle Ltd.<ref>[http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo980713/debtext/80713-08.htm]</ref>
 ==Address==

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 ==Ownership==
-Previous names of LLC Communications inlcude '''Ibis (351) Ltd''' and '''Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn Ltd'''.
+Previous names of LLM Communications inlcude '''Ibis (351) Ltd''' and '''Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn Ltd'''.
 [[Steve Rubin]], the multi-millionaire businessman who once owned [[Reebok]], is the main backer behind LLM. He put the initial money into LLM which allowed them to buy prestigious offices in Soho.