Difference between revisions of "Elizabeth Symons"
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| − | ''' Baroness Elizabeth Symons''' (14 April 1951) is a British [[Labour Party|Labour]] politician, who was created a life peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the [[House of Lords]]. | + | ''' Baroness Elizabeth Symons''' (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean) (born 14 April 1951) is a British [[Labour Party|Labour]] politician, who was created a life peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the [[House of Lords]]. |
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| + | She is a paid consultant to lobbying law firm [[DLA Piper]]. <ref> Baroness Symons | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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==Directorships== | ==Directorships== | ||
In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of [[British Airways]] and the [[Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company]].<ref>[http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&capId=256565&previousCapId=256565&previousTitle=British%20Airways%20Plc EXECUTIVE PROFILE Elizabeth Conway Symons] Business Week; Accessed 18/03/2008 </ref> | In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of [[British Airways]] and the [[Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company]].<ref>[http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=24596963&capId=256565&previousCapId=256565&previousTitle=British%20Airways%20Plc EXECUTIVE PROFILE Elizabeth Conway Symons] Business Week; Accessed 18/03/2008 </ref> | ||
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| + | ==Register of interests== | ||
| + | ===Directorships 2014=== | ||
| + | *Chairman, [[Arab British Chamber of Commerce]] (registered company) | ||
| + | *Non-executive Director, [[Manchester Airports Group]] plc (MAG) | ||
| + | ===Paid consultancy roles 2014=== | ||
| + | Remunerated employment, office, profession etc. | ||
| + | *International Consultant, DLA Piper (lawyers) | ||
| + | *International Consultant, CCC UK (construction) | ||
| + | *International Consultant, Blenheim Capital Services Limited (consulting, advisory and transaction services to governments and corporations) | ||
| + | *Member, Advisory Board of PGI Protection Group International (executive protection, surveillance and risk consulting) | ||
| + | ===Sponsorship 2014=== | ||
| + | *Secretarial support is provided by [[DLA Piper]] and the [[Arab-British Chamber of Commerce]] | ||
| + | ===Overseas trips=== | ||
| + | *Visit to Azerbaijan, 24-26 April 2014, as Chairman of [[British Azerbaijan Business Council]]; costs of visit met by Azerbaijan Business Council | ||
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Revision as of 01:27, 14 October 2014
Baroness Elizabeth Symons (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean) (born 14 April 1951) is a British Labour politician, who was created a life peer in 1996, and is now a senior figure in the House of Lords.
She is a paid consultant to lobbying law firm DLA Piper. Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
Her role in the Foreign Office was to represent the government in the House of Lords, doing so at a time when a British company, Sandline International, was being accused of supplying weapons to Sierra Leone in return for diamonds; something which U.N legislation had made illegal. Baroness Symons was accused of having knowledge of the transaction, something that the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords questioned her on record about in 1998, but she denied the suggestion claiming that there was no evidence.[1]
Symons, whilst in her position of minister for procurement for the Ministry of Defence in 2001, began the process of privatising the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which it had just changed into a government run company, with the exception of the sensitive Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.[2]
Symons' husband, Philip Bassett, was an aide to Tony Blair and served as head of the Strategic Communications Unit in Downing Street.[3] Prior to this, he was employed as labour editor for Rupert Murdoch at his Times newspaper.[4]
Alastair Campbell, whilst being questioned at the Hutton inquiry, claimed that when the Iraq War dossier regarding WMD was published, Phil Basset had been working under him as a 'senior special advisor'.[5]
It was in this role that Basset helped create the dossier that claimed Saddam Husain was able to prepare and fire W.M.D's within 45 minutes. During this time, Elizabeth Symons was both minister for trade in the Department of Trade and Industry, and also the minister for the Middle-east in the Foreign Office.[6]
Contents
Directorships
In 2005 she was made both a non-executive director of British Airways and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.[7]
Register of interests
Directorships 2014
- Chairman, Arab British Chamber of Commerce (registered company)
- Non-executive Director, Manchester Airports Group plc (MAG)
Paid consultancy roles 2014
Remunerated employment, office, profession etc.
- International Consultant, DLA Piper (lawyers)
- International Consultant, CCC UK (construction)
- International Consultant, Blenheim Capital Services Limited (consulting, advisory and transaction services to governments and corporations)
- Member, Advisory Board of PGI Protection Group International (executive protection, surveillance and risk consulting)
Sponsorship 2014
- Secretarial support is provided by DLA Piper and the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce
Overseas trips
- Visit to Azerbaijan, 24-26 April 2014, as Chairman of British Azerbaijan Business Council; costs of visit met by Azerbaijan Business Council
Affiliations
- British American Project
- Senior advisoer,[8] DLA Piper - international law firm and lobbyist
- Consultant,[9] Consolidated Contractors Company (http://www.ccc.gr/) - Middle Eastern construction group
- Rio Tinto[10]
- British Airways, non executive director, July 2005 to January 21, 2011[11]
- P&O [11]
Resources
- Arnold, James, "Qinetiq's new battle," 30 April 2002, accessed 28 November 2008.
- Business Week, EXECUTIVE PROFILE Elizabeth Conway Symons, accessed 28 November 2008.
- DLA Piper, Regulatory Alert: Trade sanctions and export controls affecting the UK & US, September 2007, accessed 28 November 2008.
- Easton, Tom, "The British American Project for the Successor Generation," Lobster Magazine, Issue 33, Summer 1997 (Sub req'd), accessed 28 November 2008.
- Grice, Andrew, "Campbell to quit as spin-master after the election," 12 April 2001, accessed 28 November 2008.
- Guardian, Tuesday August 19 2003, evidence from Alastair Campbell, Prime Minister’s Office, 19 August 2003, accessed 28 November 2008.
- Guide to Women Leaders, Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership, last update 05 October 2008, accessed 28 November 2008.
- Middle East North Africa Financial Network, "English Hight Court appoints receiver over worldwide CCC construction contracts," MENAFN Press, 28 October 2008, accessed 28 November 2008.
- Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone News, June 1998, accessed 28 November 2008.
- Ungoed-Thomas, Jon, et al., "Revealed: how minister cashed in on contacts," The Sunday Times, 23 November 2008, accessed 24 November 2008.
Notes and References
- ↑ Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone News, June 1998, accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ Arnold, James, "Qinetiq's new battle," 30 April 2002, accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ Grice, Andrew, "Campbell to quit as spin-master after the election," 12 April 2001, accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ Easton, Tom, "The British American Project for the Successor Generation," Lobster Magazine, Issue 33, Summer 1997 (sub req'd), accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ Guardian, Tuesday August 19 2003, evidence from Alastair Campbell, Prime Minister’s Office, 19 August 2003, accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ Guide to Women Leaders, Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership, last update 05 October 2008, accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ EXECUTIVE PROFILE Elizabeth Conway Symons Business Week; Accessed 18/03/2008
- ↑ DLA Piper, Regulatory Alert: Trade sanctions and export controls affecting the UK & US, September 2007, accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ Middle East North Africa Financial Network, "English Hight Court appoints receiver over worldwide CCC construction contracts," MENAFN Press, 28 October 2008, accessed 28 November 2008.
- ↑ Ungoed-Thomas, Jon, et al., "Revealed: how minister cashed in on contacts," The Sunday Times, 23 November 2008, accessed 24 November 2008.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Leigh, D. and Evans, R. From Brussels to the boardroom: what George Robertson did next The Guardian, 9 February 2006, accessed 13 October 2014
