Difference between revisions of "Hakluyt Watch"
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| − | Private Eye | + | Private Eye, No. 1031, 29 June - 12 July, 2001 |
| − | + | ==In The Back== | |
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| − | + | Who exactly is [[Michael Maclay]], director of [[Hakluyt]], the mysterious | |
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| − | Who exactly is Michael Maclay, director of Hakluyt, the mysterious | ||
"intelligence agency" exposed by the Sunday Times (17 June) as an employer | "intelligence agency" exposed by the Sunday Times (17 June) as an employer | ||
of spies in the green and peace movements? | of spies in the green and peace movements? | ||
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journalists. But not so. When he left the foreign office in the mid-1980s he | journalists. But not so. When he left the foreign office in the mid-1980s he | ||
teamed up with the celebrated team of "mission to explain" journalists at | teamed up with the celebrated team of "mission to explain" journalists at | ||
| − | London Weekend Television under John Birt, later director-general of the | + | London Weekend Television under [[John Birt]], later director-general of the |
| − | BBC, and Peter Mandelson, later Labour's media specialist and twice-sacked | + | BBC, and [[Peter Mandelson]], later Labour's media specialist and twice-sacked |
cabinet minister. | cabinet minister. | ||
While at London Weekend Maclay helped Mandelson's friend David (now Lord) | While at London Weekend Maclay helped Mandelson's friend David (now Lord) | ||
| − | Lipsey set up the Sunday Correspondent to rival the Observer. Together with | + | Lipsey set up the [[Sunday Correspondent]] to rival the Observer. Together with |
| − | Mandelson and Lipsey, Maclay was an early member of the British American | + | Mandelson and Lipsey, Maclay was an early member of the [[British American Project]] to encourage members of "the successor generation" -- the best and |
| − | Project to encourage members of "the successor generation" -- the best and | ||
the brightest in both countries (see Eyes 929, 954, 960, 963, 1011). Another | the brightest in both countries (see Eyes 929, 954, 960, 963, 1011). Another | ||
| − | former BAP member was Liz (now Baroness) Symons, a star in the Blair | + | former BAP member was [[Elizabeth Symons|Liz (now Baroness) Symons]], a star in the Blair |
| − | government, and wife of Phil Bassett, Blair's key aide at Number 10. | + | government, and wife of [[Phil Bassett]], Blair's key aide at Number 10. |
The fact that Maclay's Hakluyt (bizarrely named after a geographer) sought | The fact that Maclay's Hakluyt (bizarrely named after a geographer) sought | ||
| − | and paid for information from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth which | + | and paid for information from [[Greenpeace]] and [[Friends of the Earth]] which |
| − | would be useful to its clients in the boardroom of BP will not have come as | + | would be useful to its clients in the boardroom of [[BP]] will not have come as |
a surprise to top BP executive and founding treasurer of the British | a surprise to top BP executive and founding treasurer of the British | ||
| − | American Project, Nick Butler. Butler is well known to Eye readers as one of | + | American Project, [[Nick Butler]]. Butler is well known to Eye readers as one of |
"new" Labour's favourite big businessmen. For several years his wife ran the | "new" Labour's favourite big businessmen. For several years his wife ran the | ||
| − | press office at the Blairite think tank IPPR, whose talkative director | + | press office at the Blairite think tank [[IPPR]], whose talkative director |
| − | Matthew Taylor is another close friend of Michael Maclay. | + | [[Matthew Taylor]] is another close friend of Michael Maclay. |
Latest revision as of 16:00, 3 July 2006
Private Eye, No. 1031, 29 June - 12 July, 2001
In The Back
Who exactly is Michael Maclay, director of Hakluyt, the mysterious "intelligence agency" exposed by the Sunday Times (17 June) as an employer of spies in the green and peace movements?
Mr Maclay is an informative chap. He told the Sunday Times: "We don't ever talk about anything we do. We never go into details about what we may or may not be doing."
An ignorant observer might imagine that Maclay has an aversion to journalists. But not so. When he left the foreign office in the mid-1980s he teamed up with the celebrated team of "mission to explain" journalists at London Weekend Television under John Birt, later director-general of the BBC, and Peter Mandelson, later Labour's media specialist and twice-sacked cabinet minister.
While at London Weekend Maclay helped Mandelson's friend David (now Lord) Lipsey set up the Sunday Correspondent to rival the Observer. Together with Mandelson and Lipsey, Maclay was an early member of the British American Project to encourage members of "the successor generation" -- the best and the brightest in both countries (see Eyes 929, 954, 960, 963, 1011). Another former BAP member was Liz (now Baroness) Symons, a star in the Blair government, and wife of Phil Bassett, Blair's key aide at Number 10.
The fact that Maclay's Hakluyt (bizarrely named after a geographer) sought and paid for information from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth which would be useful to its clients in the boardroom of BP will not have come as a surprise to top BP executive and founding treasurer of the British American Project, Nick Butler. Butler is well known to Eye readers as one of "new" Labour's favourite big businessmen. For several years his wife ran the press office at the Blairite think tank IPPR, whose talkative director Matthew Taylor is another close friend of Michael Maclay.
