Revolving Door Log

The revolving door between government and the arms industry turns relentlessly. This is a log of the more high-profile exchanges. The main source is the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA).

2012

December
Lieutenant General Paul Newton
Old job: Commander Force Development & Training, Army
New job: Member of Defence Advisory Board, Babcock International
Source: ACOBA

October
The "Generals for Hire" exposé by The Sunday Times [paywall] saw undercover reporters pretending to be executives from a South Korean company wanting to sell drones to the UK armed forces. They approached eight of the highest ranking retired officers, wanting to hire them to lobby on their behalf. Only two showed no interest.
Four former military chiefs "boasted of sidestepping official rules on lobbying for defence contracts". They were:

Lieutenant-General Richard Applegate
Was: head of MoD procurement
Lieutenant-General Sir John Kiszely
Was: head of the Defence Academy
He said he could use his role as president of the Royal Brisith Legion to lobby, even at Remembrance Day events. Following the revelations, he stepped down from the Royal British Legion (BBC, 15.10.2012) and his role at Babcock (Guardian, 15.10.2012)
General Lord Dannatt
Was: head of the army
Admiral Sir Trevor Soar
Was: head of the navy
Following the revelations, he left his new role at Babcock (Guardian, 15.10.2012)

Two others did not break rules but "bragged about pulling strings with friends and former subordinates" to help the fictitious arms company:

Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup
Was: chief of the armed forces
General Sir Mike Jackson
Was: head of the army

Sources: Sunday Times, 14.10.2012 [paywall] & Telegraph, 15.12.2012

September
Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant
Old job: Commander-in-Chief Air Command
New job: Programme Director, BAE Systems
Source: ACOBA

September
Admiral Sir Trevor Soar
Old job: Commander in Chief Fleet, Royal Navy
New jobs: A commission with Babcock International
and: Non-executive Chairman, Vessel Protection Solutions
Source: ACOBA

July
Sir William Patey
Old jobs: UK Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq & Saudi Arabia
New job: Foreign Affairs Adviser, Control Risks
Source: ACOBA

May
Sir Andrew Cahn
Old job: Chief Executive of UKTI
New job: Non-executive director, General Dynamics UK
Source: ACOBA

January
James O'Shaughnessy
Old job: Head of the Downing Street Policy Unit
New job: Chief Policy Adviser for lobbying firm Portland. Portland clients include Google, Apple, McDonalds, Vodafone, VirginMedia and BAE Systems.
Sources: Portland, 9 Jan 2012 and The Independent, 10 Jan 2012

2011

July
Air Marshal Peter Ruddock
Old job: Director General of the MoD's Saudi Armed Forces Project which exists to sell arms to Saudi Arabia
New job: Director of Business Development, Lockheed Martin UK
Sources: Private Eye, 5 August 2011, and ACOBA

July
Rear Admiral Christopher Parry
Old job: Director General of Development Concepts & Doctrine, MoD
New job: Defence & Security Conferences Advisor, Clarion Events
Source: www.zawya.com, 4 July 2011

June
Admiral Alan West / Lord West
Old job: Minister for Security and Counter-terrorism
New job: Strategic Adviser, Primetake - specialist ammunition producer that exhibited at the IDEX arms fair in February 2011.
Sources: Register of Lords' Interests, Private Eye, 10 June 2011, and IDEX 2011 website

May
Lt General Richard Applegate
Old job: MoD Chief of Materiel (Land) Defence Equip. & Support
New job: Chairman, Elbit Systems UK
Sources: helihub.com, 13.5.2011 and Linkedin.com

May
Geoff Hoon
Old job: Defence Secretary, who awarded AgustaWestland a billion pound contract without competition. In 2010 he was suspended from the Labour party after being recorded by Channel 4 saying he wanted to use his knowledge and contacts to make money - £3,000 a day.
New job: senior V-P of international business, AgustaWestland
Sources: Financial Times, 16 May 2011, and Times, 25 March 2005

March
Vice Admiral Tim Laurence
Old job: Chief Executive, Defence Estates
New jobs: Senior Adviser, PA Consulting
and: Non-executive director, Capita Symonds
Sources: Private Eye, 13 May 2011, ACOBA and Daily Mail, 23 May 2011

February
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles
Old job: Britain's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who pressured the Serious Fraud Office to drop its investigation into BAE-Saudi arms deals
New job: internat. business development director, BAE Systems
Sources: Guardian, 18 Feb 2011, Telegraph, 18 Feb 2011 and 14 Mar 2011

January
Graham Wright
Old job: Cabinet Office, Office of Cyber Security & Info. Assurance
New job: "key leadership roles in the UK", Northrop Grumman
Source: Northrop Grumman, 4 January 2011

January
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy
Old job: Chief of the Air Staff
New job: Senior Adviser, BAE Systems
Source: ACOBA website

2010

December
Baroness Taylor of Bolton
Old job: Minister for Defence Equipment and Support
New job: Advisory Board Member, Thales Corporate Services
Source: ACOBA website

December
Lt General Richard Applegate
Old job: MoD Chief of Materiel (Land) Defence Equip. & Support
New job: Associate Member, Niteworks
Source: ACOBA website

October
Air Marshal Iain McNicoll
Old job: Deputy Commander-in Chief
New job: Associate Partner, Defence Strategy & Solutions LLP
Source: ACOBA website

September
General Sir Richard Dannatt
Old job: Chief of the General Staff
New job: Consultant, Control Risks Group
Source: ACOBA website

January
Paul Stein
Old job: MoD Director General, Science & Technology
New job: Chief Scientific Officer, Rolls Royce
Source: ACOBA 11th Report 2009-2010

2009

November
The Rt Hon Paul Boateng
Old job: British High Commissioner Pretoria
New job: Non-executive Director, Aegis Defence Services
Source: ACOBA 11th Report 2009-2010

November
John Williams
Old job: MoD Special Adviser to the Secretary of State
New job: Independent Consultant, Fujitsu Services
Source: ACOBA 11th Report 2009-2010

September
Dr Peter Collecott
Old job: HM Ambassador Brasilia
New jobs: Consultant, G4S
and [August]: Adviser, Smiths Group
Source: ACOBA 11th Report 2009-2010

September
Sir David Pepper
Old job: Government Communications Headquarters Director
New jobs: Member of Advisory Board, Thales UK
and [July]: Strategic Adviser, Defence Strategy & Solutions LLP
Source: ACOBA 11th Report 2009-2010

June
David Gould
Old job: MoD Chief Operating Officer, Defence Equip. & Support
New jobs: Consultant, G4S
and: Consultant, JRA Aerospace
and: Consultant, RFD Beaufort
and [May]: Non-executive Director VEGA Consulting Services
Source: ACOBA 11th Report 2009-2010

February
Sir Graham Fry
Old job: HM Ambassador Tokyo
New job: Corporate Adviser for UK, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
ACOBA 10th Report 2008-2009