Geoffrey Norris
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This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch. |
Geoffrey Norris is a former government adviser who was seen as one of the most crucial advocates of nuclear power, with an ear to former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. He was Blair's special adviser on energy and industry and has an association with Labour that goes back to the 1980s.
Norris is now a senior adviser at Global Counsel, the 'strategic advisory' firm set up by Peter Mandelson and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser in late 2010. [1]
Contents
Background
From 1992 to November 1994 Norris advised Robin Cook, MP as Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary and before that he advised Cook on Health policy. He then moved to become Industry Policy adviser to Tony Blair when Blair was still leader of the Opposition.
In May 1997 Norris was appointed Blair's Special Adviser responsible for Trade, Industry, Energy, Employment, and Planning. He has stayed close to Blair ever since.[2]
A key architect of Britain and Europe's approach to energy policy and climate change
Norris describes himself as an expert in energy and industrial policy, who "has been at the heart of business policy-making in the UK for the last decade" and "was one of the key architects of Britain and Europe’s current approach to energy policy and climate change". [1]
Most recently he was a special adviser at the UK Department of Business in Whitehall. [1]
Closeness to Blair
Even for Blair's special advisers, Norris was considered extremely close to Blair. The closeness rankled John Prescott who when once asked by the BBC about Norris said: "Who's (Geoffrey) Norris? Mr Norris is an official in the department. We sometimes call them teenyboppers. You know what I mean?"[3]
Pro-nuclear
Norris was said to have pressed the nuclear case extremely hard and along with the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, persuaded Blair to back the need for nuclear.
In March 2005, the Independent on Sunday reported how "Within government, Geoffrey Norris, Tony Blair's special adviser on industry and business, is pressing the nuclear case. It is understood that he was instrumental in the creation of the DTI's Future for Nuclear team." One Whitehall source told the paper: "Norris has fought hard to keep nuclear on the agenda."[4]
Affiliations
- Global Counsel - senior adviser
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 About Us, Global Counsel website, accessed 10 September 2012
- ↑ The Industry Forum, Geoffrey Norris Biography
- ↑ N. Watt, "Prescott Scathing Over Car Criticism", The Times, May 4, 1998.
- ↑ Clayton Hirst, "Secret DTI Team Gives Green Light For 10 New Nuclear Plants, Independent on Sunday, March 27, 2005.
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