Luke Coffey
Luke Coffey was special adviser to the former Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox.[1] SInce 2013, he has worked as a Margaret Thatcher Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.[2]
Contents
Education
Coffey graduated from Pacific High School in 1998.[3] He earned an AA in Military Science at the Wentworth Military Academy, where he studied between 1998 and 2000. In 2001, he studied South African Politics as a visiting undergraduate at the University of the Western Cape/Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland. He earned a BA in Political Science at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, between 2000 and 2002. He earned an MSc in Politics and Government of the European Union at the London School of Economics in 2006-07.[4]
US Army
Coffey was a Captain in the U.S. Army, serving first as part of the Southern European Task Force (SETAF) based in Vicenza, Italy and later deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF VI) in 2005.[5]
Westminster
Arriving in Britain in 2006, he began working for the Tory MP Mark Harper before applying to move to Fox's office.[6]
Fox advisor in opposition
From May 2007 until May 2010, was an advisor to Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox.[4]
Fox advisor in Government
On Fox's appointment as Defence Secretary in May 2010, Coffey followed him into Whitehall as one of his Special Advisors.[4] Coffey oversaw policy on Europe, the US, the Middle East, military operations and welfare.[7]
In June 2010, a Sunday Times article by Isabel Oakeshott queried the appointment of an American to this role pointing to Coffey's US military background, and his role in the CENSA think-tank alongside US intelligence personnel. Oakeshott wrote: Highlighting these fears, Labour MP and former special adviser in the MoD Michael Dugher remarked that:
- This raises serious questions. At a time when the MoD is undertaking a sensitive defence review, vital to British national interests, is it really appropriate to have a foreign national and a former member of the US military employed by the taxpayer as a special adviser to the British secretary of state? It will only fuel fears that Liam Fox plans to tear up important contracts with UK-based suppliers — supporting thousands of British jobs — in favour of buying ‘off the shelf’ from the Americans.[6]
Coffey was granted an all access pass to the MoD in advance of being "defence vetted" by the security clearance process. The process, which can take months, was apparently delayed due to Coffey's nationality. A question from Labour MP Kevan Jones about the nationality of special advisors was blocked by Francis Maude.[8]
Coffey stepped down as a Special Advisor in October 2011.[4]
CENSA
Coffey established the London chapter of American think tank the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs (CENSA) whose aim it is to "shape US national security policy" and "become the premier venue for virtual collaboration in addressing national security affairs and policy renewals".[6]
Heritage Foundation
Coffey joined the Heritage Foundation as fellow of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom in 2012.[2]
Contact, Resources, Notes
Notes
- ↑ Department of Information Services, "Parliamentary Information List", accessed 07.09.10
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Luke Coffey, Heritage Foundation], accessed 14 December 2013.
- ↑ Moore-Coffey Engagement, www.emissourian.com, 1 April 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Luke Coffey, LinkedIn, accessed 14 December 2013.
- ↑ CENSA, "Membership directory", accessed 12.09.10
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Isabel Oakeshott , "Minister lets US ‘mole’ roam MoD", The Sunday Times, 06.06.10, accessed 12.09.10
- ↑ Rupert Neate, Fox and Werritty joined stag party during taxpayer-funded trip to Dubai, The Guardian, 13 October 2011.
- ↑ Isabel Oakeshott , "Minister lets US ‘mole’ roam MoD", The Sunday Times, 06.06.10, accessed 12.09.10
