The disgusting Lord Taylor of Blackburn, who together with Justice Secretary Jack Straw forms the chief parliamentary support for the stinkingly corrupt BAE arms company, has been caught out demanding £120,000 to peddle his New Labour influence in the House of Lords.
As ever, this blog was there first – eighteen months ago. We have in fact been all over Lord Scumbag like a rash. These are essential reading as background to the current scandal:
http://www.craigmurray.co.uk/archives/2007/08/theres_good_mon.html#comments
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2007/08/more_lord_scumb.html
I think this passage I wrote in 2007 has been roundly vindicated:
Straw’s links with BAE are partly conducted through Lord Taylor of Blackburn, the former leader of the Blackburn with Darwen Council that includes Straw’s Blackburn constituency. Lord Taylor, an archetypal New Labour apparatchik from Straw’s constituency machine, has lived off the taxpayer in Labour Party appointed posts all his life. He is now chiefly known as the second highest claimer of expenses in the House of Lords. In 2005 Lord Taylor claimed over ‘57,000 of tax-free expenses, over three times the average claim of under ‘19,000. he spoke 15 times in the year.
But he doesn’t really need that public money anymore, as the grasping creep Taylor is the primary conduit between the defence industry and New Labour. He has been a highly paid “Consultant” to BAE for over a decade. He also has used some of that money to make major contributions to Jack Straw’s election expenses in his Blackburn constituency, declared by Straw in the Register of Member’s interests. Lord Taylor also regularly makes large contributions to fund Blackburn New Labour. When I stood against Straw in Blackburn at the last election, Taylor was present with Straw at a black tie event hosted by BAE in the constituency said to be “unrelated to the election”.
Interestingly, this year in the House of Lords’ Register of Members’ interests, BAE has disappeared from Taylor’s list of eleven paid consultancies and two paid directorships. It might be interesting to dig for links between these companies and BAE. Some are certainly arms firms – including the highly sinister Electronic Data Systems.
EDS is another of the arms companies that has made many billions from the Iraq war. Among their many current defence contracts is a $12 billion project on electronic systems for the US armed forces. Presumably a well-plugged in New Labour apparatchik like Lord Taylor was of no hindrance to EDS in March 2005 when they landed a ‘2.5 billion contract from the UK MOD for a similar project. Indeed, if Lord Taylor cannot help swing that kind of contract, why are EDS paying him?
I do not have power of words sufficiently to condemn the institutional sleaze of a system where a scumbag like Lord Taylor can be put, unelected, by Labour into a seat for life in the national legislature. There, while a legislator, he can act as a well paid and highly connected lobbyist for the arms industry. As someone who has been deeply patriotic, I must now say that I find myself unable to have any pride in my own country any longer.
I do hope the old war profiteer finally gets put away behind bars. But with his long term partner Jack Straw as so-called Minister of Justice…
Allowing influence to party hacks like Taylor is of course exactly why New Labour is 100% against democratic reform of the House of Lords. Now your essay question: examine the facts about Lord Taylor in the light of the analysis of the control of policy by specific interests by J A Hobson in the blog entry below.
Demanded? Read the transcripts, they offered the amount, even the times admit that. I can understand if this comment is not added or is ‘moderated’ but what the man has gained from companies is to the benefit of educational programs the world over, as you yourself should know as a Lancaster fellow (usually as the strongest advocate of the students). Apart from that calm down with the anger fella. You can guess I’m not a neutral here, but look at the record and see the good he has done. Either way, Craig, you have my email and would really like some dialogue with you. You clearly have strong feelings drop me a mail for a discussion, I stress discussion, not argument. Clearly you have the ability to calmly discuss things rationally, if you didn’t they’d lock you up for being a nutter, like most people, if they acted in real life they way they wrote in blogs and forums etc. So please feel free to delete this from the site(your blog after all) but I do emplore you to write to me with empapassioned point of view, not vitriol. If not at least write to me to say that you have at least considered it. Also people can differ on opinion on some topics and agree on others, Gaza and Palestine for instance. Not looking for anything to quote you on either, I just enjoy constructive debate, I believe you can do this, go on convince me(sorry good natured cheeky challenge there).
Regards Mae
“I do hope the old war profiteer finally gets put away behind bars.”
But you of all people should know how our cosy system of establishment obfuscation and self-protection works. There is as much chance of him being locked up as there is of you being nominated for Labour controlled Quango.
As for Jack Straw and ‘The Ministry of Justice’. I really could not believe they were serious about that name change/reorganisation when first mooted. It is so positively in-your-face Orwellian. It still jars and jangles my nerves every time I hear it.
Craig,
Hope springs eternal, but let us be realistic. Taylor is not even going to be censured. He will declare himself completely exonerated after an ‘inquiry’ and then it will be back to business as usual. Unlike Mae I do think his motives were perfectly transparent – if the Sunday Times report was even remotely accurate.
These people are entirely used to bending ‘rules’ for personal gain. But what this is about is personal integrity vs legality. Not that the noble lords would understand the nuances. However, ordinary decent folk never confuse the two.
Oh, and I won’t take up your time with a prolonged private discussion, either.
Mae
Have you actually read the earlier articles from this blog in the links above. The man makes his money from the peddling of influence for the arms industry. It makes no difference at all if he assuages his guilt with philanthropic use of a small portion of the profits.
Craig Murray for the Lords. Someone needs to be there to keep a watchful eye.
Have expanded the post slightly so some of the above comments may look out of place.
Taylor, Truscott, Moonie and Snape – has quite a ring to it. Reminds me of Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb from Trumpton days.
Why in God’s name does an 80 year old geriatric need to lay his greedy mitts on £120 grand. There’s a photo of the corrupt old tosser here and some choice language in the blog.
http://devilskitchen.me.uk/2009/01/ye-are-pack-of-mercenary-wretches.html
Straw is a lying shit too. He has sat on that green bench throughout all the lies and cover-ups – Dr Kelly, war on Iraq…..
I would be interested to see the transrcipts of the taped conversations between the Ulster Unionist and the Liberal Democrat seeing as any investigation would be Lords based and not just Labour, despite the allegations being made only against Lords from this party. I would also bet that few would wager that the Conservative Peers were not ‘tipped’ off. Personally I would like to see the idea for a non party system as outlined in yes minister… that would work much better.
Ho hum.
Mae,
I really don’t think any amount of New Labour trolling is going to change the facts on this one.
Off topic: Craig, the book arrived today, for which many thanks. I’m due to spend a two-day break away. Guess what I’m taking with me.
I do hope sales are going well.
I can guarantee you Craig, that with all honesty and sincerity that in this case you are wrong. I can also guarantee that I do not need to read any articles and that if you base your blog on second hand details and on snippets from transcripts that you have no access to in full, you are somehow psychic.
We all know mud sticks Craig, something that I believe you know only too well and how painful it can be when untrue. Are we to assume that only when the government exonerates you (your alleged currency being sex), that no cover up has taken place? Perhaps that it is OK to be drunk at work because you were not as drunk as others? But this is the problem with second hand sources; I only know what I have read and the actual truth is damned.
Would you have trial by media, should your Google search returns be admissible in court?
I hope you are still having fun being a dissident, a liberty I think you take all too lightly. Setting up a blog and preaching to the converted is easy. I would like to think you believe you are also capable of more. Free speech may seem free, but it has been paid for at great cost in the past and still costs those who are a little too free with their tongue.
You force me to ‘troll’ (or dissent with your view) by not emailing me, time it seems you have but choose not to. I also have no political party leanings, so, please don’t paint the hair of this troll red (or Brown). I hang my head come election time knowing that whilst I am supposed to be voting to choose my local MP, I am effectively given a choice of colours which but fade to grey when elected and in my humble opinion will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, which I will watch from under my bridge where I now return. You know the location.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Mae
“Why in God’s name does an 80 year old geriatric need to lay his greedy mitts on £120 grand”
Mary
It’s must be hard to change the habits of a lifetime.
Mae
If you can’t even be bothered to read the articles of mine I have linked to above outlining Taylor’s excessive lobbying for the Defence industry, I have no respect for you. I have just heard the recording at some length on Sky News. It is plainly Taylor who suggests £100,000 a year sum, and who says he has successfully had legislation amended to allow Experian to gain more conficential information on all of us. The man is very plainly scum. Nothing you have said in any way challenges any of the facts, which you can find very plainly – and NOT from media sources – in the links given in the above postings.
Talking of arms dealers, I heard on the radio this morning that someone has been supplying cluster bombs to Sri Lanka. Whoever that ‘someone’ is, it surely can’t be a human being in the normal definition of one. ‘Legal’ or not. Against exactly which country would Sri Lanka need to use these devices to defend itself?
Stop baiting this poor troll with worms.
To pay:
40% in income tax.
17.5%/15% VAT
Council tax
Why do vapid football players get paid one hundred thousand a week!
If someone wants and is willing to pay you X amount to legally (or not as you are free to believe) do a job, would you offer to do it for less?
People get paid what people or the market are willing to pay them.
Life is also long and not always well paid. Making money is never a habit and can hardly be called greed if someone, be they Times journalists or not offer it to you.
Mae,
I can’t understand what this means particularly the last part of the sentence.
“Clearly you have the ability to calmly discuss things rationally, if you didn’t they’d lock you up for being a nutter, like most people, if they acted in real life they way they wrote in blogs and forums etc.”
and also this sentence which seems like an embedded threat
“Free speech may seem free, but it has been paid for at great cost in the past and still costs those who are a little too free with their tongue.”
It sounds just like something someone from the secret services might say.
Mae
If someone holds a position in Parliament he or she is remunerated for holding that position and for attending and participating in the debate, framing our laws for the benefit of all. No other incentive should be necessary.
The football analogy won’t wash. Far too lazy. Footballers are paid to entertain, not make laws.
“Experian to gain more conficential information on all of us”
“According to Save The Internet.com(STI), “The nation’s largest telephone and cable companies —including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner—want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow and which won’t load at all.””…
http://tinyurl.com/cvdcz2
The words…Total control…comes to mind.
Get rid of the unelected lords. This is bound to happen. It is very dissapointing people do this sort of corruption.
No wonder the economies are collapsing with crooks at the top.
No serious decent people will accept what the lord did as OK. It is pure corruption. Money for laws. If this is not corruption then what is?
Perhaps the whole thing is about smearing the reputation of the House of Lords in order for people to demand its abolition. The House of Lords has in many cases fought for our civil rights far more vigorously than the acquiescent House of Commons. I find it particularly strange that such a story comes from the Sunday Times. I suspect there is an ulterior motive.
This was him in the HoL last year. He’s getting good at saying ‘I humbly apologize to the House (if I have done anything wrong….. etc etc’) He said it today and so did Snape. Chutzpah to be able to stand there in front of their ‘peers’ as if nothing is wrong.
Lord Taylor of Blackburn (Labour) Link to this | Hansard source
My Lords, with the leave of the House, I should like to make a personal Statement. On 22 October , during exchanges on an Oral Question tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Ezra, on winter energy supplies, I asked a supplementary question about gas storage. On reflection, I should have declared an interest, which appears in the register of non-parliamentary interests, in a company called Canatxx Energy Ventures Limited. I humbly apologise to the House.
“THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF ARMS COMPANIES”
Lord Taylor of Blackburn and Lord Inge are listed as BAE. Systems consultants and Lord Powell of Bayswater is listed. as adviser to the Chairman of BAE …
http://tinyurl.com/bu5hpx
Electronic Data Systems… Founded in 1962 by H. Ross Perot (independent candidate for the President of the U.S. in 1992)….
Former board members:
Dick Cheney, Vice President of the U.S
Related SourceWatch articles
David Blunkett
ID Cards: The Next Steps
ID Cards: Towards Procurement and Implementation
International Association of Privacy Professionals]
Muthoni Magua – former staff
UK National Identity Cards Scheme…
http://tinyurl.com/c5lj4r
Above link not working ? try this…
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Electronic_Data_Systems_(EDS)
Hmmm…link above that not working as well…try this.
“THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF ARMS COMPANIES”…
http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/government/political-influence-0403.pdf
Who cares? Seriously laddy, i don’t think you view things thru the what can you do and what did you expect prism?
Using footballers as an excuse let alone a reason for encouraging the amount of greed, stupidity and sleaze in this country, allegedly and especially in politics and the finance sector, is pathetic. If you accept the terms of free-market capitalism then you must also accept that the market rules entirely and that any commodity will command the price that someone is prepared to pay especially for supposed entertainment. The fact that footballers, and indeed many other sportsmen and women possibly apart from Rugby League, are grossly overpaid is not relevant and more fool football supporters for stumping up £30 or £40 a week and more to watch 22 men kick a ball around for 90 minutes.
What is relevant to this issue is the fact that we have an Upper House in UK in which, allegedly, 1 in 5 people sitting in the House of Lords are paid for consultancy work or given fees to act as an adviser, the definition appears to be quite loose, and some, allegedly, are prepared to put down questions or table amendments in that political chamber to influence the content of draft bills and legislation. Apparently they can do this, and might have been doing it for years, because of loopholes and no clear guidelines and rules on what Lords and Ladies can and cannot do and the fact that they do NOT have to declare how and where they ‘earn’ their money.
According to information the industries that have a Lord or Lords or Lady represent their industries in the Lords include banking, credit agencies, gambling, fast food, surveillance and other security systems, and nuclear power, and also some represent foreign governments. Regrettably less than a dozen Lords registered how much they were paid for consultancy and advisory work so who knows what influence they are exerting over various areas of business, industry and commerce in UK.
In any supposed democratic political system that way of conducting business and politics is and must be seen to be totally unacceptable. Therefore, it is time that the rules were tightened to ensure that any and all people in the House of Lords are required to register and declare any and all monies paid for consultancy and advisory work in any capacity and from whom.
There are 743 people sitting in the House of Lords, (I wonder how the US manages with only 100 Senators), some of them old duffers and buffers, who are paid £340 a day attendance allowance for every sitting or committee meeting they attend plus allowances and travel expenses and subsidized food and booze in the Palace of Westminster. Last year, according to House of Lords submitted allowances record and report, Taylor of Blackburn claimed more than £65,000. The annual costs of the House of Lords, not just expenses and allowances but all the ancillary costs and services, is not inconsiderable.
However, if these people are to sit and pontificate and dictate on how this nation functions politically, economically and socially then they must be held to account for their actions and be held both responsible and accountable. It is time that the House of Lords was culled and their numbers reduced drastically to no more than say 350, with each County in UK having no more than 3 selected or elected based on their knowledge, experience, ability and commitment, Lords to sit in the Upper House. Further, it should no longer be an accepted fact that anyone ennobled, and especially those elevated from national or local politics, can enter the House of Lords as a right. And, if the House of Lords needs ‘expert’ advice it could call on people who are accepted as experts to provide advice, during committee meetings, on issues that these people may choose to debate.
It’s time that the House of Lords “lobbying” process ?” previously available only to the super-rich ?” was opened up so that ordinary people can participate.
If enough of us band together and chip in a fiver each, we can hire our very own “People’s peer”, and seek to get the law changed in ways that benefit all of us, not just the corporate elite.
For just £120,000 a year, we can buy ourselves a top-quality Lord with a direct line to government ministers, and a proven track record of getting legal changes fast-tracked on the quiet. Click here to join the gravy train! Help us to Buy Back Democracy, for just a fiver a head! It’s time that the House of Lords “lobbying” process ?” previously available only to the super-rich ?” was opened up so that ordinary people can participate.
If enough of us band together, we can hire our very own “People’s peer”, and can seek to get the law changed in ways that benefit all of us.
For just £120,000 a year, we can buy ourselves a top-quality Lord with a direct line to government ministers, and a proven track record of getting legal changes fast-tracked on the quiet. Click here to join the unstoppable bandwagon! http://www.facebook.com/board.php?status=256&uid=60582442518#/group.php?gid=60582442518
The Catholic Orangemen of Togo and Other Conflicts I Have Known page 132.
Duke of Edinburgh on visit to Ghana:
“How many Members of Parliament do you have?” he asked.
“Two hundred” came the answer.
“That’s about the right number,” opined the Prince, “We have six hundred and fifty MPs, and most of them are a complete bloody waste of time.”
Yay !! After having read ‘As used on the famous Nelson Mandela’ by Mark Thomas it is great to read that someone is shafting these war-horses..
Well done, Craig !!