Robert Hill

Not to be confused with Robert Hill (scientist)

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

Robert Hill is a former special adviser to the Labour Party.

Background

Following his role as senior research manager for the Audit Commission and a period with Capita (a firm that runs contracted-out services) in the 1990s, in 1997 Hill joined the No 10 Policy Unit as the then Prime Minister Tony Blair’s adviser on health and local government issues. He was appointed as Blair political secretary in 2001. Hill was later special adviser to Education Secretary Charles Clarke, moving with him to the Home Office until May 2005. In a 2002 article, the Times Educational Supplement described Hill as being "gung-ho about privatisation". Despite credentials that "should gladden a trade unionist's heart" - Hill used to work as a binman and was an National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) activist involved in the 1982 NHS strike - he is "an ultra-moderniser, unlikely to take a conciliatory approach with unions". The idea of NHS Direct was attributed to Hill, and he was reportedly in favour of hospitals being given power to borrow money from the private sector.

Hill now works as an independent consultant and has contracts with local and central government, in particular working with Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).