David Richards

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

General Sir David Richards (Lord Richards of Herstmonceux) is the former head of the British armed forces. He was Chief of the Defence Staff and Chief of the General Staff.

Richards is now a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, having joined on 24 February 2014.

Since retiring in 2013, Richards has advised the repressive governments of Bahrain and United Arab Emirates as well as the arms firm Dyncorp, among others. Other controversial clients include oil companies such as Vitol and the King of Jordan.

The former commander-in-chief is listed as a keynote speaker at the upcoming Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference in October 2017.

Gen. Sir David Richards at the NATO Summit in Chicago, Ill., May 20, 2012. Photo credit: Ash Carter

Army career

After graduating from university, Richards was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1971. He has completed three tours of duty in Northern Ireland, led the British contingent in East Timor in 1999, twice commanded a UK joint task in Sierra Leone in 2000, served as commander of the Nato operation in Afghanistan between May 2006 and February 2007 and commander-in-chief of UK land forces from 2008-2009.

He was appointed Chief of the General Staff in 2009 and Chief of the Defence Staff in 2010until he retired in July 2013.

Revolving Door

Richards has acted as a 'strategic consultant' for a range of controversial clients since retiring.

According to the House of Lords Register of Interests, Richards is the founder, chairman and director of Palliser Associates Ltd, which provides strategic advice to governments and companies, and is 100 per cent owned by Richards and his wife:

Personal clients are: Ondra Partners (whose business is financial advice); Vitol Group (whose business is energy provision); International Institute for Strategic Studies; the King and Government of Bahrain; the King and Government of Jordan; Government of UAE/Royal Ruby Group; Huntsworth plc (international PR and communications company); Apache Asia (traditional merchant bank with offices in Hong Kong and Singapore); Portfolio Consulting and Advisory Company LLC (an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management LP; USA); income from employment listed in category 2 is also paid to Palliser Associates Ltd)

Other consultancy roles:

• Chairman and director of Equilibrium Global Ltd , which provides geostrategic advice to governments and companies) (see category 4(a) - no personal clients) and Equilibrium Gulf.
• Non-executive chairman, Arturius International Ltd (a company started by ex-servicemen and specialising in logistic and transport services)
• Adviser, International Institute for Strategy Studies, 2013 - present

Strategic advice, not lobbying

When asked about his consultancies by the Wall Street Journal in 2014, Richards said he only advises foreign governments and does not lobby the British government. "I set up Palliser and EQ-G because of my frustration over the lack of strategic understanding, globally, and a belief that I could help governments and companies where appropriate do much better. This is not lobbying or anything remotely like it," he says.

ACOBA approval of consultancy commissions

In 2015 Lord Richards requested advice from Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (APPG) about accepting various commissions under his independent consultancies Equilibrium Gulf Ltd and Equilibrium Global Ltd. These include organisations such as The Brenthurst Foundation, Huntsworth, Apache Asia and Dyncorp. ACOBA approved all as falling under the terms of his consultancy.

Overseas visits

• Visit with wife to Tufts University, Boston, Mass, USA, 16-21 February 2016, to receive Dr Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award 2016 from the University; the University paid for Member's travel and expenses and for Lady Richards's expenses but not her travel costs which were met by the Member
• Visit with wife to Oman, 14-17 April 2016, to address Oman National Defence College on Strategy; fee paid, and travel expenses met for Member and wife

Speaking engagements

As declared on the House of Lords Register of Interests:

• Speaking engagement, 10 February 2016, Buckingham University (fee and travel expenses paid)
• Speaking engagement, 13 February 2016, speech to the President Murtala Muhammed 40th Anniversary Conference, Abuja, Nigeria (fee and expenses paid)
• Speaking engagement, 15 March 2016: Talk for Price Waterhouse Cooper in Leeds as part of their Business Leaders Programme; fee and travel expenses paid

Affiliations

As a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Defence and Security Issues the Member attends regular meetings at which the value of the hospitality received over the course of a calendar year exceeds the registration threshold of £140.

He is also a visiting Professor of Exeter University (unpaid) and an Honorary Fellow of both King’s College London and Cardiff University. He is a senior adviser to the International Institute of Strategic Studies and a Governor of the Ditchley Foundation.