Symons was or remains a member of the British-American Project (BAP). It has a membership of 600 leaders and opinion formers, drawn equally from both countries, according to The Guardian, and holds an annual conference at which everything that is said is officially off-the-record.[2] also serves on the board of governors of the Ditchley Foundation.
In 2001, she married her long-standing partner, Phil Bassett, a former writer at The Times. They have a son, James, born in 1985.[3] In October 2002, Bassett was appointed to the Strategic Communications Unit in 10 Downing Street, leaving in September 2003 to become special adviser to Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs.
Symons sits on the board of trustees of the John Smith Memorial Trust, an NGO set up in 1995 in memory of the late Labour party leader John Smith.
Conflict of interest allegations
The Guardian alleged in its issue of 9 January 2005 that Symons may have used her office to give "special treatment" to David Mills, husband of Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell. Mills was seeking her assistance in sidestepping a U.S. trade embargo against Iran in order to sell $200 million worth of British Aerospace jets to that country.[5]
On 9 February 2006, The Guardian mentioned her as one several former government ministers who had accepted lucrative positions as company directors and consultants. In the case of Symons, the companies involved were British Airways, law firm DLA Piper, and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).[6]
In 2009 similar allegations were made when she took a lucrative post with UK investment bank MerchantBridge, which made millions from contracts in post-war Iraq, and also when she became a member of the National Economic Development Board of Libya shortly before the release of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, who was convicted of the Lockerbie bombing. Symons resigned from the National Economic Development Board in 2011 in the midst of a popular uprising against the government of Muammar Gaddafi, one day after she had made remarks which appeared to praise Gaddafi's ‘sound ideology’. Symons said the remarks had been made facetiously.[citation needed]
elizabeth, symons, baroness, symons, vernham, dean, elizabeth, conway, symons, baroness, symons, vernham, dean, born, april, 1951, british, politician, trade, unionist, member, labour, party, minister, state, middle, east, from, 2001, 2005, former, general, se. Elizabeth Conway Symons Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean PC born 14 April 1951 is a British politician and trade unionist A member of the Labour Party she was Minister of State for the Middle East from 2001 to 2005 She is former General Secretary of the FDA Trade Union and has served as the Chair of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce ABCC since 2010 The Right HonourableThe Baroness Symonsof Vernham DeanPCSymons in 2018Minister of State for the Middle EastIn office 11 June 2001 5 May 2005Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byJohn BattleSucceeded byKim HowellsMinister of State for Trade and InvestmentIn office 11 June 2001 13 June 2003Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byRichard CabornSucceeded byMike O BrienDeputy Leader of the House of LordsIn office 8 June 2001 6 June 2005Prime MinisterTony BlairLeaderThe Lord Williams of MostynThe Baroness AmosPreceded byThe Lord Williams of MostynSucceeded byThe Lord RookerMinister of State for Defence ProcurementIn office 28 July 1999 8 June 2001Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byThe Lord GilbertSucceeded byThe Lord BachParliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth AffairsIn office 2 May 1997 28 July 1999Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byLiam FoxSucceeded byThe Baroness Scotland of AsthalMember of the House of Lords Lord TemporalIncumbentAssumed office 27 November 1996Life PeeragePersonal detailsBornElizabeth Conway Symons 1951 04 14 14 April 1951 age 71 Political partyLabourParentErnest SymonsAlma materGirton College Cambridge Contents 1 Early life 2 Political life 2 1 Corporate career 3 Conflict of interest allegations 4 ReferencesEarly life EditThe daughter of Ernest Symons Chairman of HM Board of Inland Revenue Symons was educated at Putney High School for Girls and Girton College Cambridge She was an administration trainee at the Department of the Environment from 1974 to 1977 She then worked for the Inland Revenue Staff Federation from 1977 to 1989 and was General Secretary of the Association of First Division Civil Servants from 1989 to 1997 She resigned from this post following her appointment as a working peer Political life Edit Lady Symons of Vernham Dean in her role as Minister of Defence Procurement Symons was created a Labour life peer as Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean of Vernham Dean in the County of Hampshire on 7 October 1996 1 From May 1997 to June 1999 she took her first government post serving as a junior Foreign Office Minister From 1999 until 2001 she was Minister of State for Defence Procurement and from 2001 until 2003 Minister of State for Trade From 2001 until 2005 she was Minister of State for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for the Middle East International Security Consular and Personal Affairs and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Symons was or remains a member of the British American Project BAP It has a membership of 600 leaders and opinion formers drawn equally from both countries according to The Guardian and holds an annual conference at which everything that is said is officially off the record 2 also serves on the board of governors of the Ditchley Foundation In 2001 she married her long standing partner Phil Bassett a former writer at The Times They have a son James born in 1985 3 In October 2002 Bassett was appointed to the Strategic Communications Unit in 10 Downing Street leaving in September 2003 to become special adviser to Lord Falconer of Thoroton the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs She is a Senior Network Member at the European Leadership Network ELN 4 Corporate career Edit Symons was not given a job in the re shuffle after the general election of 5 May 2005 and became a non executive director of British Airways citation needed Symons sits on the board of trustees of the John Smith Memorial Trust an NGO set up in 1995 in memory of the late Labour party leader John Smith Conflict of interest allegations EditThe Guardian alleged in its issue of 9 January 2005 that Symons may have used her office to give special treatment to David Mills husband of Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell Mills was seeking her assistance in sidestepping a U S trade embargo against Iran in order to sell 200 million worth of British Aerospace jets to that country 5 On 9 February 2006 The Guardian mentioned her as one several former government ministers who had accepted lucrative positions as company directors and consultants In the case of Symons the companies involved were British Airways law firm DLA Piper and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company P amp O 6 In 2009 similar allegations were made when she took a lucrative post with UK investment bank MerchantBridge which made millions from contracts in post war Iraq and also when she became a member of the National Economic Development Board of Libya shortly before the release of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi who was convicted of the Lockerbie bombing Symons resigned from the National Economic Development Board in 2011 in the midst of a popular uprising against the government of Muammar Gaddafi one day after she had made remarks which appeared to praise Gaddafi s sound ideology Symons said the remarks had been made facetiously citation needed References Edit No 54550 The London Gazette 14 October 1996 p 13637 Feature Andy Beckett reports on the British American Project World news The Guardian Dod Charles Roger Vacher Dod Publishing Limited Dod Robert Phipps 2005 Dod s Parliamentary Companion ISBN 9780905702513 Senior Network www europeanleadershipnetwork org Retrieved 21 September 2020 Minister s advice on Iran jet deal Politics The Observer From Brussels to the boardroom what George Robertson did next Business The Guardian Political officesPreceded byThe Lord Williams of Mostyn Deputy Leader of the House of Lords2001 2005 Succeeded byThe Lord RookerTrade union officesPreceded byJohn Ward General Secretary of the First Division Association1989 1997 Succeeded byJonathan Baume Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elizabeth Symons Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean amp oldid 1127698230, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
