Peter Truscott

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

Private Eye reports:

Peter Truscott was once a humble Labour Euro MP. Then he became Lord Truscott, energy minister. Now he has become a consultant to a financial PR firm called Gavin Anderson, whose 'public affairs' unit specialises in what it calls 'influencing legislation'. Gavin Anderson's most notable client? The controversial energy giant, Gazprom.

Erminegate

In January 2009 Lord Truscott was one of four peers who allegedly agreed to accept money from undercover Sunday Times reporters, who were posing as business lobbyists, in return for amending legislation. Both Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn were suspended for six months from the House of Lords for their role in what became know as the 'erminegate' affair. Lord Moonie and Lord Snape were both cleared by the Lords Privileges Committee but were invited to apologise for their "inappropriate attitudes".

Lord Truscott allegedly said he had previously offered to help an energy client who was concerned about the energy bill. Lord Truscott discussed a £72,000 fee with the undercover reporters and said "I can work with you over it ... identifying people and following it ... meeting people, talking to people to facilitate the amendment and making sure the thing is granted."

Current Posts

• All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria member
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy, Since November 2006

Former Positions

• Member of the House of Lords European Union Committee
• Former departmental liaison peer to the Ministry of Defence
• MEP Hertfordshire (1994 - 1999)
• Labour's Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesperson
• Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee
• Vice-President of the Security Sub Committee
• Member of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the Russian Federation
• Claims to have written extensively on foreign and security policy. An expert on the former Soviet Union and European security
• Visiting Research Fellow with the Institute for Public Policy Research from 1999 - 2000

ACOBA

2006-2008

• Consultant Gavin Anderson & Company, started role in January 2008. Approved by ACOBA subject to "12 months after leaving office, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of his new employer or its clients"
• Associate Partner and Adviser, Opus Executive Partners Ltd, January 2008-2011. Was approved by ACOBA subject to "12 months after leaving office, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of his new employer or its clients"

2008-2010

For the following appointments, ACOBA saw "no reason why he should not take up the appointment forthwith, provided he does not become personally involved in lobbying UK Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of the company for a year after leaving office"

• Consultant, Landis+Gyr Group, April 2008.
• Non-executive director and consultant, Eastern Petroleum Corporation Ltd, May 2008.
• Non-executive director and consultant, Gulf Keystone Petroleum (UK) Ltd, May 2008.

For the following appointments ACOBA, saw "no reason why he should not take up the appointment forthwith"

• Consultant, Torftech Ltd, July 2008.
• Consultant and member of advisory board, VAL Energy, March 2009.
• International adviser, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, March 2009

• Non-executive director and consultant, African Minerals (UK) Ltd , April 2008. For this appointment ACOBA "noted and saw no difficulty, provided he does not become personally involved in lobbying UK Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of the company for a year after leaving office". Truscott left the role in 2009 but retains shareholdings in the company.