Kirk Leech

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Kirk Leech at the Battle of Ideas 2007

Kirk Leech works in 'government affairs' or lobbying for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.[1] He was previously a teacher, freelance journalist, broadaster and researcher. He was associated with the libertarian and anti-environmental LM network. He is a long time and leading member of the RCP, standing as an RCP candidate in the 1987 general election, was National Organiser of the Irish Freedom Movement (circa 1990),[2] was involved with Workers Against Racism and wrote for Living Marxism/LM sometimes under the name Kirk Williams. He has been a 'regular contributor to Spiked-online',[3] the assistant director of WORLDwrite and has spoken at the Battle of Ideas and written for the Institute of Ideas, Culture Wars,[4] and Novo.

Kirk Leech at the one and only Modern Movement demo in 2010

He is a co-founder of Fans For Freedom [5]

Education

Leech attended the Laurence Jackson School in Guisborough, North Yorkshire[6] and later the City of London Polytechnic circa 1981.[7] David Osler a contemporary of Leech at the City of London Polytechnic notes that 'contemporaries remember a charismatic and charming young man'.[7]

Activities

Leech stood in the 1987 General Election in the Newcastle Central Constituency for the RCP. In 1990 he was 'national organiser' for the Irish Freedom Movement. He was also for a number of years the RCP's man in Scotland, writing articles in LM on Scottish issues between March 1992 and March 1993. The last article under the byline Kirk Williams appeared in Living Marxism in April 1993. It was more than six years before Leech reappeared in what had by then become LM. In October 1999 he presented material gathered in India on the Normada Dam including an interview with the pro-GM lobbyist Chengal Reddy.[8]

In 2003 Leech, then employed as a teacher in London, was quoted criticising changes in geographical teaching:

Kirk Leech, a geography teacher at Centre Academy, in London, agrees. "Geography as I learnt it at university is far from what we are encouraged to teach today. It used to mean atlases, floods and rocks. Today pupils are taught about species loss, global warming and citizenship. Geography has become an ethics lesson and a means to moralise about the world."[9]

In 2004 Leech was reportedly 'head of humanities' at Centre Academy.[10]

In 2005 Leech started working as a 'project officer'[11] for Research Defence Society an organisation set up to defend vivisection. Later he referred to himself as a 'project manager'[12] and he worked with RDS until 2011 during which time the organisation underwent a name change, rebranding itself as Understanding Animal Research.

In 2008 Leech was described as studying at Kings College London. He was said to be 'undertaking postgraduate research in development and environment... on the impact of global environmental concerns on state sovereignty'.[13]

In 2008 Leech spoke at the Battle of Ideas Festival on 'Irish History: don't mention the war' on Saturday 1 November, 10.30am until 12.00pm, Lecture Theatre 2, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London. Leech was listed as 'former leading member of the British based Irish Freedom Movement.' Other speakers included Kevin Bean Lecturer in Irish Politics, Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool;[14]

In 2010 Leech attended the Modern Movement demonstration in London which was a counter demonstration to the Plane Stupid protest agains the third runway at Heathrow.

In 2011 Leech took up a post as a lobbyist at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

In October 2013 he chaired a Battle of Ideas Festival session on lobbying [15]

Affiliations

Publications

2010-2014

2005-2009

2000-2004

1989-1999

Resources

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 LinkedIn Kirk Leech, accessed 22 August 2013
  2. ↑ Nick Holdsworth, 'GOW A LEGITIMATE TARGET - SINN FEIN', Press Association, August 11, 1990, Saturday.
  3. ↑ Institute of Ideas Special Event - Sunday 15 March: Return of the IRA?
  4. ↑ "Articles by Kirk Leech", Spiked website, accessed 2 May 2010
  5. ↑ 'Kirk Leech' Huffington Post website, accessed 6 October 2013
  6. ↑ Friends Reunited Laurence Jackson School, accessed 22 August 2013
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 David Osler Old Trots: where are they now? 2, davespartblog, accessed 22 August 2013
  8. ↑ FKirk Leech 'Let Prince Charles travel by bullock cart when he comes to India', Interview with Chengal Reddy, LM issue 124, October 1999
  9. ↑ Is geography brainwashing?, The Independent, Education pages, Thursday, 6 February 2003
  10. ↑ Kirk Leech Can mainstream cope with all our children? TES Newspaper 9 January, 2004 Last Updated: 11 May, 2008.
  11. ↑ Fw: RDS, 'Animal research - winning the debate' symposium, London on Thursday 21 February 2008, Myotubular_Myopathy · A HealthShare Group support community, Yahoogroups, Sun Jan 6, 2008 8:31 pm
  12. ↑ Kirk Leech Obama: wind of change or feeble breeze?, Spiked 2 July 2008
  13. ↑ Fora TV Kirk Leech, accessed 22 August 2013
  14. ↑ Mick Fealty Irish History: Don't mention the war? Oct. 20, 2008 (Slugger O'Toole delivered by Newstex)
  15. ↑ Lobbying: a dirty business?, Sunday 20 October, 9.30am until 10.15am, Conservatory Economic solutions?], acc 27 March 2014
  16. ↑ 'STICKING BY THE TIGER', Indian Express, July 21, 2008 Monday
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Profile Kirk Leech Battle of Ideas
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