Scottish Council for Development and Industry

The SCDI host an important series of events that readily attract sponsorship and participation by corporations. These events create space for exchanges betweenlobbyists and decision makers in Scotland.

The SCDI's parliamentary affairs meetings are regarded by lobbyists as more useful than similar events on the somewhat crowded corporate circuit. Between 1998 and 2003 SCDI hosted over 30 MSP member meetings, and numerous political ‘Influencers’ dinners with elected representative and officials. The influencers dinners have been addressed by Jack McConnell (currently First Minister, then in his capacity as minister for education), Jim Wallace (deputy First Minister), Wendy Alexander (then minister for communities), Sarah Boyack (in capacity as transport minister), Helen Liddell (former Secretary of State for Scotland, then a minister of state for education), George Foulkes (then minister of state in the Scotland Office), Brian Wilson (twice, minister of state at the DTI), both Alex Salmond and John Swinney as leaders of the SNP opposition in Scotland, and John McKinnion, the Scottish Executive’s chief planner. In addition to these exchanges the SCDI organises trade missions with the active participation of prominent politicians (including Helen Liddell, Secretary of State for Scotland), receptions, breakfast and lunch meetings with elected Scottish representatives in Edinburgh, London and Brussels and senior officials in the Scottish Executive.

The SCDI's annual forum in 2002, examined the theme of Corporate Social Responsibility, and was addressed by Jack McConnell, First Minister, and Douglas Alexander, then minister of state at the DTI with responsibility for CSR. In 2004 the annual forum was again addressed by Jack McConnell. This event also featured presentations from senior public servants such as Peter Lederer, chair of VisitScotland, Professor Wilson Sibbett, chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee, John Elvidge, Scotland's most senior civil servant as Permanent Secretary at the Scottish Executive, and Mairi MacPherson chair of the influential Scottish Executive strategy unit ([1]).

In addition to all this activity the SCDI stated on its website: 'There are, of course, many other SCDI events and meetings at which politicians are guests or participants but these are not listed'. The SCDI instigated a 'Meet the MSP' series of events where up to thirty members can interface with MSPs. Over thirty such meetings have taken place since March 2000.

According to [Hartwig Pautz] 'This lobby group is made up of some of the largest corporations in Scotland. There is also ‘a smattering of trade unions’ on the SCDI’s executive board51. It seeks to ‘strengthen Scotland’s economic competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by influencing Government policy at all levels’52.'

SCDI Board

• President Mr David R Paton OBE - Aberdeen Harbour Board

• Chairman Ms Shonaig Macpherson

Directors

• Mr Robert Armour British Energy
• Mr Allan Burns Diageo
• Mr Bob Christie COSLA
• Mr Gavin Don EQUITAS
• Mr Donal Dowds BAA Scottish Airports - Past Chairman
• Mr Bill Drummond Brodies - Legal Adviser
• Mr Iain McLaren KPMG - Financial Adviser
• Mr Joe Moore Scottish Natural Heritage - Chairman, H&I Committee
• Mrs Esther Roberton Private Member
• Mr David Ross Scottish Chambers of Commerce
• Mr Bill Speirs Scottish Trades Union Congress
• Prof. Bill Stevely CBE Robert Gordon University - Chairman North East Committee
• Mr Brian Veitch Arup Scotland
• Mr Alan Wilson Company Secretary

SCDI Executive

• Allan Alstead CBE Mercy Corps Scotland
• Robert Armour British Energy
• Andy Baird Transport & General Workers' Union
• Bruce Black Homes for Scotland
• Cheryl Black Scottish Water
• Chris Blake Marks & Spencer
• Stephen Boyd Scottish Trades Union Congress
• Sandy Boyle UNIFI
• Jim Burberry PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Allan Burns Diageo
• David Caldwell Universities Scotland
• Liz Cameron Scottish Chambers of Commerce
• Craig Campbell National Farmers' Union of Scotland
• Bob Christie COSLA

Andrew Cort FMC Energy Systems Joe Costello The Essentia Group Sandy Cumming CBE Highlands & Islands Enterprise Dr Graeme Dear Nutreco Brendan Dick BT Scotland Gavin Don EQUITAS Anne Douglas Prospect Donal Dowds BAA Scottish Airports Bill Drummond Brodies Ms Margaret Forsyth OCS Scotland s Angiolina Foster Communities Scotland Ms Shona Frame Junior Chamber Scotland Manus Fullerton Lloyds TSB Scotland Crawford Gillies Bain & Company Mike Hambly Private Member Graeme Hartley Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland Gavin Hewitt CMG The Scotch Whisky Association Des Hudson Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland Simon Innes Institution Of Civil Engineers Ian Jardine Scottish Natural Heritage Tom Kelly Association of Scottish Colleges James Knowles SLAED Afzal Khushi Jacobs & Turner Richard Laverick Ernst & Young Stephen Lockley Institute of Logistics & Transport Brian MacDonald North Ayrshire Council Harry MacMillan BP Ian McKay Royal Mail Group Howard McKenzie Association of Scottish Colleges Iain McLaren KPMG Allan McLean Alcan Primary Metal Europe Rory Mair COSLA William Maltman Eglinton Management Centre Jim Martin Logica CMG Graham Meiklejohn EWS Railway Neil Menzies Private Member Joe Moore Scottish Natural Heritage Fiona Moriarty Scottish Retail Consortium Kirk Murdoch McGrigors Joe Parker BAE Systems David R Paton OBE President, Scottish Council for Development and Industry Audrey Ramsay Diageo Philip Riddle VisitScotland Esther Roberton Private Member Deacon Lewis Rose Church of Scotland David Ross Scottish Chambers of Commerce Alistair Scott Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Alistair Shaw West Lothian Council Martin Sime Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations Matt Smith OBE UNISON Scotland Ronald Smith The Educational Institute of Scotland Alan Somerville Grosvenor Estates Bill Speirs Scottish Trades Union Congress Prof. William Stevely CBE Robert Gordon University Tony Strachan Bank of England Prof. Joan Stringer CBE Universities Scotland David Valentine SLAED Brian Veitch Arup Scotland Robin Veitch MBE Ian Wall The EDI Group Peter Weanie Dunfermline Building Society Alan Wilson Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Development and Industry Charlie Woods Scottish Enterprise Canon Dr Kenyon Wright CBE Inter-Denominational Churches

External links

SCDI website [2]