Peter Truscott

From Powerbase
Revision as of 03:01, 18 November 2014 by Melissa Jones (talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search
Revolving Door.jpg This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch.



Private Eye reports:

Peter Truscott was once a humble Labour Euro MP. Then he became Lord Truscott, energy minister. Now he has become a consultant to a financial PR firm called Gavin Anderson, whose 'public affairs' unit specialises in what it calls 'influencing legislation'. Gavin Anderson's most notable client? The controversial energy giant, Gazprom.[1]

Erminegate

In January 2009 Lord Truscott was one of four peers who allegedly agreed to accept money from undercover Sunday Times reporters, who were posing as business lobbyists, in return for amending legislation. Both Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn were suspended for six months from the House of Lords for their role in what became know as the 'erminegate' affair. Lord Moonie and Lord Snape were both cleared by the Lords Privileges Committee but were invited to apologise for their "inappropriate attitudes".[2]

Lord Truscott allegedly said he had previously offered to help an energy client who was concerned about the energy bill. Lord Truscott discussed a £72,000 fee with the undercover reporters and said "I can work with you over it ... identifying people and following it ... meeting people, talking to people to facilitate the amendment and making sure the thing is granted."[3]

Current Posts

Former Positions

  • Member of the House of Lords European Union Committee
  • Former departmental liaison peer to the Ministry of Defence
  • MEP Hertfordshire (1994 - 1999)
  • Labour's Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesperson
  • Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee
  • Vice-President of the Security Sub Committee
  • Member of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the Russian Federation
  • Claims to have written extensively on foreign and security policy. An expert on the former Soviet Union and European security
  • Visiting Research Fellow with the Institute for Public Policy Research from 1999 - 2000[4]

ACOBA

2006-2008

  • Consultant Gavin Anderson & Company, started role in January 2008. Approved by ACOBA subject to "12 months after leaving office, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of his new employer or its clients"[5]
  • Associate Partner and Adviser, Opus Executive Partners Ltd, January 2008-2011.[6] Was approved by ACOBA subject to "12 months after leaving office, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of his new employer or its clients"[5]

2008-2010

For the following appointments, ACOBA saw "no reason why he should not take up the appointment forthwith, provided he does not become personally involved in lobbying UK Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of the company for a year after leaving office"[7]

For the following appointments ACOBA, saw "no reason why he should not take up the appointment forthwith"[7]

  • Non-executive director and consultant, African Minerals (UK) Ltd , April 2008. For this appointment ACOBA "noted and saw no difficulty, provided he does not become personally involved in lobbying UK Ministers or Crown servants, including Special Advisers, on behalf of the company for a year after leaving office"[7]. Truscott left the role in 2009 but retains shareholdings in the company. [8]

Notes

  1. Private Eye, No. 1206, 21 March - 3 April 2008, p. 5
  2. 'Two Labour peers face suspension', BBC, 14 May 2009.
  3. Nicholas Watt, 'Erminegate: police called to examine corruption allegations in House of Lords', The Guardian, 26 January 2009.
  4. BERR Website Our Ministerial Team accessed 16th June 2008
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Ninth Report 2006-2008 Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, accessed 6 November 2014
  6. Lord Truscott Parliament.uk, accessed 6 November 2014
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Tenth Report 2008-2009 Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, accessed 17 November 2014
  8. Lord Truscott, www.parliament.uk, undated, acc 18 November 2014