The Sunday Times June 04, 2006Ex-minister ignored rule and took job as lobbyist
A FORMER defence minister has been criticised by a Whitehall vetting committee for accepting a job as a defence industry lobbyist without seeking official permission, writes Robert Winnett.
Ivor Caplin, who stood down at the last election, has taken lobbying jobs with two companies — Foresight Communications and MBDA Missile Systems — in breach of the ministerial code.
Foresight, run by Mark Adams, Tony Blair’s former private secretary, represents the £20 billion Eurofighter jet project and MBDA is an American missile company.
Former ministers are expected to inform Whitehall’s advisory committee on business appointments before accepting such employment offers. Section 5.29 of the ministerial code states: “On leaving office, ministers should seek advice from the . . . committee . . . about any appointments they wish to take up within two years of leaving office.”
The committee has criticised Caplin for accepting the appointments without seeking its advice.
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Will the proposed new Corruption Bill currently going through Parliament ever be applied to these cosy arrangements, rather than the non-statutory Ministerial Code of Practice, breach of which does not seem to have any penalties whatsoever, apart from some publicity ?
Every firm of political lobbyists like Foresight Communications claims to be "ethical", but "they would say that, wouldn't they" ? What exactly does Ivor Caplin have to offer ?
Ivor Caplin, Senior ConsultantIvor was a Defence Minister and Labour Member of Parliament for Hove until the 2005 General Election.
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He is able to offer Foresight's clients genuine insights into the workings of the Government.
MBDA Missile Systems is jointly owned by EADS (Neterlands), BAE Systems (UK) and Finmechanica (Italy), i.e. three major European international Defence Contractors involved in the Eurofighter project.
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