Lewis Moonie
Lewis Moonie is a former Labour MP for Kircaldy (winner of seat in 1992, 1997 and 2001), and was Parliamentary under-secretary, Ministry of Defence until his resignation in 2003. [1]. He is now a Consultant for Sovereign Strategy; director for Mining Technology and director of AEA Technology [2]. He became Baron Moonie of Fife in May 2005.
His appointment as a director of Sovereign Strategy attracted attention, as both Alan Milburn and Moonie were fast-tracked by a government appointments watchdog to take up work with the Labour-donating lobbying company. Unusually, Sovereign Strategy is not a member of the lobbyists' professional body, the Association of Professional Political Consultants, which has a code of conduct not to employ or pay any MP, peer or MEP [3].
When Moonie was defence minister he approved the conditions of the sale of QinetiQ which allowed the company and directors John Chisholm and Graham Love to make vast sums of money. John Chisholm turned an investment of £129,000 into £22 million when part of QinetiQ was sold privately in 2006, while Graham Love managed to turn a £108,000 investment into £18 million pounds. [4]
How things have changed, as an opposition MP in 1995 Moonie strongly opposed the privitisation of AEA Technology telling the commons and the Minister responsible for the decision that "The facilities management division of AEA, as the Minister has described--the part responsible for providing infrastructure support and general services to all AEA's sites--is currently being flogged off to the highest bidder, despite the pleas of the work force and the Opposition to delay the decision until AEA's future is decided. I understand--the Minister confirmed it today--that the contract is to be awarded to a company called Procord, formerly part of IBM, which was run by the present chairman of AEA, Sir Anthony Cleaver, before taking up his present appointment. The Minister should be well aware of how unwholesome such a position might appear" [5]
Affiliations
References
- ↑ Lewis Moonie 'Aristotle MP profile, Accessed 1st August 2007
- ↑ Register of MPs 'Interests - Baron Lewis Moonie, Accessed 1st August 2007
- ↑ The Guardian 'Ex-ministers cleared to work for lobbying firm, Accessed 1st August 2007
- ↑ David Hencke, Guardian 21st November 2007, page 4, Auditors condem rushed MoD sale that turned civil servants into multimillionaires
- ↑ House of Commons, Publications and records, March 14th 1995 Debates, Column 714 Last accessed November 21st 2007
