Peter Ricketts

This article is part of the Counter-Terrorism Portal project of Spinwatch.

Sir Peter Ricketts was UK National Security Adviser from 2010 until 2012. and later served as Ambassador to France and Monaco.

In August 2016 Ricketts was appointed as a strategic adviser to arms firm Lockheed Martin UK (LM UK). The role covers advice to Lockheed's chairman and executive team of LM UK, both through board meetings and on an informal basis and 'helping shape the future strategy of the business'. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments approved Rickett's role in February 2016 on the condition he waited six months before taking up the role, and also two years from his last day in service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of Lockheed Martin UK, its parent company, subsidiaries or clients.

Outside parliament

Mr Ricketts sought the advice of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) regarding a new role as non-executive director of Engie, a global energy producer headquartered in France. During his time in office Ricketts had met with Engie a number of times, but the committee noted these were to help inform departmental decision making for the government. They also acknowledged that the three month waiting period for Permanent Secretary equivalents and the six-month ban on taking up business interests in the Ambassador's country of last posting had both been served. The committee advised that Mr Rickett's take up the appointment providing 2 conditions were met; he did not draw upon any privileged information from his time in office, and that he serve a 2-year lobbying ban from his final day in office. The appointment was taken up in May 2016.

External Resources

• Iraq Inquiry, Oral Evidence, 24 November 2009.
• Iraq Inquiry, Oral Evidence, 1 December 2009.
• Iraq Inquiry, Oral Evidence, 2 February 2010.