Difference between revisions of "Ian McCartney"
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One part of lobbying is gaining privileged access to MPs. Six months after quitting his position as Trade and Industry Minister in June 2007, the press reported how McCartney was spotted in the Commons "entertaining an executive from a controversial US nuclear company". The person concerned was Flour's UK boss, [[Ian Thomas]], who said that he was there on a "social visit". Flour was on a shortlist of four firms seeking to win a contract worth billions for decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear power site. Flour did not end up securing the contract a year later, losing out to rival [[AMEC]], which had recruited the services of fellow former Labour minister [[Richard Caborn]]. | One part of lobbying is gaining privileged access to MPs. Six months after quitting his position as Trade and Industry Minister in June 2007, the press reported how McCartney was spotted in the Commons "entertaining an executive from a controversial US nuclear company". The person concerned was Flour's UK boss, [[Ian Thomas]], who said that he was there on a "social visit". Flour was on a shortlist of four firms seeking to win a contract worth billions for decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear power site. Flour did not end up securing the contract a year later, losing out to rival [[AMEC]], which had recruited the services of fellow former Labour minister [[Richard Caborn]]. | ||
| − | In 2009 McCartney told the House of Commons public administration committee: "I don't lobby for Fluor and this is explicit in our agreement, lodged with the House authorities." | + | In 2009 McCartney told the House of Commons public administration committee: "I don't lobby for Fluor and this is explicit in our agreement, lodged with the House authorities." McCartney also stated that he personally received none of the remuneration for this role: part of the fee was used to employ someone in the House of Commons from his Makerfield constituency and the rest is used to support an Indian women's charity. |
While there was no suggestion McCartney had done anything wrong under the current rules the committee 'came to the conclusion that their corporate paymasters were probably more interested in their address books than their knowledge of Parliamentary procedure'. | While there was no suggestion McCartney had done anything wrong under the current rules the committee 'came to the conclusion that their corporate paymasters were probably more interested in their address books than their knowledge of Parliamentary procedure'. | ||
| − | :It stretches the bounds of credulity to suggest that the fact that they were former ministers with contacts in government did not play a part in the decisions by AMEC and Fluor to employ them, | + | :'It stretches the bounds of credulity to suggest that the fact that they were former ministers with contacts in government did not play a part in the decisions by AMEC and Fluor to employ them,' the report says. |
| − | : | + | :Part of the appeal of employing former ministers is the perception - accurate or not - that they will be able to offer access across government. This is particularly so when the their party remains in government. |
| − | :[The committee] called for a tightening up of the rules to prevent former ministers being able to "use with impunity the contacts they build up as public servants to further a private interest". | + | :[The committee] called for a tightening up of the rules to prevent former ministers being able to "use with impunity the contacts they build up as public servants to further a private interest". <ref> Brian Wheeler, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7853945.stm Lobbying and British politics] |
==Affiliations== | ==Affiliations== | ||
Revision as of 09:51, 21 May 2012
Ian McCartney (born 25 April 1951, Lennoxtown, East Dumbartonshire) is the former British Labour MP for Makerfield (1987-2010) and a former Cabinet minister.
Contents
Political career
McCartney served in the Cabinet for four years, between 2003 and 2007. He was Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (2006-2007), Minister of State for Pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions (2001-2003), Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (1999-2001), and Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (1997-1999).[1]
Nuclear links
McCartney moved into a lucrative job within the nuclear industry around the same time as the UK Government was undertaking a public consultation and then gave the go-ahead to proceed with a new generation of nuclear power plants.
The former chairman of the Labour Party and former Trade Minister was reportedly paid up to £115,000 to act as a senior adviser to Fluor Corporation, on top of his £60,000 a year MP's salary. Although the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments gave McCartney permission to take the appointment it was on condition that he did not lobby the Government for a year.
One part of lobbying is gaining privileged access to MPs. Six months after quitting his position as Trade and Industry Minister in June 2007, the press reported how McCartney was spotted in the Commons "entertaining an executive from a controversial US nuclear company". The person concerned was Flour's UK boss, Ian Thomas, who said that he was there on a "social visit". Flour was on a shortlist of four firms seeking to win a contract worth billions for decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear power site. Flour did not end up securing the contract a year later, losing out to rival AMEC, which had recruited the services of fellow former Labour minister Richard Caborn.
In 2009 McCartney told the House of Commons public administration committee: "I don't lobby for Fluor and this is explicit in our agreement, lodged with the House authorities." McCartney also stated that he personally received none of the remuneration for this role: part of the fee was used to employ someone in the House of Commons from his Makerfield constituency and the rest is used to support an Indian women's charity.
While there was no suggestion McCartney had done anything wrong under the current rules the committee 'came to the conclusion that their corporate paymasters were probably more interested in their address books than their knowledge of Parliamentary procedure'.
- 'It stretches the bounds of credulity to suggest that the fact that they were former ministers with contacts in government did not play a part in the decisions by AMEC and Fluor to employ them,' the report says.
- Part of the appeal of employing former ministers is the perception - accurate or not - that they will be able to offer access across government. This is particularly so when the their party remains in government.
- [The committee] called for a tightening up of the rules to prevent former ministers being able to "use with impunity the contacts they build up as public servants to further a private interest". Cite error: Closing
</ref>missing for<ref>tag Fluor (http://www.fluor.com/) - American nuclear power giant
Resources and Notes
Resources
- Deedes, Henry, "Pandora: McCartney's paymasters come off second best in nuclear battle," The Independent, 23 July 2008, accessed 27 November 2008.
- Ian McCartney, About Ian, accessed 27 November 2008.
- Ungoed-Thomas, Jon, et al., Times Online website, The Sunday Times, 23 November 2008, accessed 24 November 2008.
