Political Influence

Arms companies have long enjoyed a close relationship with the Government that gives them immense influence over government decision-making. This influence is a key reason arms exporters have enjoyed a high level of financial and political support from successive UK governments.

There are many opportunities for arms companies to gain access to and influence the Government – including the use of lobbying companies, sponsorship and donations, and public-private partnerships. Some of the most significant are described below.

UK Trade & Investment

The Government works with the arms companies to promote their exports through UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). The arms industry no longer has quite the same influence as it did until March 2008 when export promotion was located within the Ministry of Defence (MoD), but nonetheless it still commands disproportionate support compared with other industries. About 160 staff are in the UKTI Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO), concentrating on the the export of military and security equipment, as against around 130 UKTI dedicated to all other industrial sectors combined.

One change from the MoD days is that the head of UKTI DSO does not have an arms industry background. However, UKTI has a Defence Advisory Group and a Security Advisory Group, each with personnel from their respective industries.

The Revolving Door

The ‘revolving door’ is a key feature of the relationship between the Government and military industry: no other industry has attracted such a large number of high-ranking government staff while at the same time seconding many of its own employees to the same government department,the MoD.

The numbers of MoD staff seeking employment in arms companies have been so high that they amount to a 'traffic' according to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which regulates such moves. On average, between 1997 and 2004, 39% of all applications to the Committee were made by individuals working in the MoD. A more recent example is that of Sir Kevin Tebbit. He was the MoD's Permanent Secretary, its top civil servant, from 1998 until November 2005. Retiring, he joined the Board of Finmeccanica UK, which owns helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, just months later in June 2006. He is now the company's Chair and is also Chair of the UKTI DSO Defence Advisory Group.

Since the early 1990s at least six government Ministers, including Michael Portillo, George Robertson and Jonathan Aitken, have gone on to work for arms-producing companies.

A large number of senior arms company executives have also moved into powerful positions within the MoD. From the limited information available it is known that between April 1997 and January 2003 at least twenty-two individuals from BAE Systems were seconded to the MoD.

Advisory Bodies

Military industry is heavily represented on an extensive network of high-level advisory bodies, giving it further access to government. Tony Blair has established more groups of non-elected individuals to advise on government policy than any other British Prime Minister. Between May 1997 and December 1998 at least 295 new advisory groups were created, drawing in some 2500 members who were neither government officials nor ministers. Recently established European advisory groups offer arms companies further opportunity to influence policy on an even wider scale.

The deliberations of these largely publicly unaccountable bodies are generally secret and membership information can be difficult to obtain, but what we do know is that they afford military industry extraordinary access to high level government officials.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMS TRADE

Political Influence

UK Trade & Investment

The Revolving Door

Advisory Bodies

Further Reading