Rock campaigner told to leave Parliament
Jun 27 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal
THE man who led the Northern Rock small shareholders’ compensation campaign has been stripped of his access to Parliament over claims that he was lobbying on behalf of arms manufacturers.
Robin Ashby, managing partner of defence consultancy firm Bergmans, has had his access to the Houses of Parliament revoked after it claimed he could be using his pass to ask questions on behalf of his clients.
Mr Ashby denied any conflict of interest, insisting he uses his pass for his work as a research assistant for Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Harris of Richmond and for his role as unpaid founder and director of the UK Defence Forum think tank. But the Liberal Democrats yesterday withdrew Mr Ashby’s credentials after accepting his role was “open to misinterpretation”.
Mr Ashby, whose firm is based in Newcastle, said he worked in Parliament two or three times a week but insisted he was not engaged in lobbying.
He told The Journal the only time he had used his access to Parliament for anything other than official businesses was to lobby for support on Northern Rock, an issue about which he was always up-front with MPs.
Mr Ashby said: “This information has always been in the public domain, I have never hidden this and everyone I work with knows in which capacity I am speaking to them.
“My work in Parliament has always been separate, I work a lot with the armed forces organising welcome parties for returning troops.
“I’ve been doing my other, commercial, work since 1985 and it was only after security tightened following the 9/11 attacks that it was mentioned to me by staff that instead of entering Parliament as a regular person going through the same security checks every time, that I should apply for full credentials.”
Mr Ashby has admitted that Baroness Harris was paid income from another of his firms, Great North News, but said it was a one-off payment.
Mr Ashby’s company website – which features pictures of him with leading politicians taken outside Parliament – describes one of its roles as ensuring “issues like jobs, UK economic and industrial benefits and added value (including export potential) are fully understood by a wider audience, and so are accommodated”.
Bergmans also offers to submit Freedom of Information requests on behalf of clients who fear doing so themselves “may prejudice their relationship with Government, especially where the departments in which they are interested are also their potential customers”.
Labour MP Tony Wright, who chairs the public administration committee which is conducting an inquiry into lobbying, said: “If lobbyists are getting Parliamentary passes to ply their trade, and if lobbying companies are putting in FOI requests to conceal the identity of their clients, then these are issues of real concern that need attention.”
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: “Robin Ashby has acted as an adviser to Baroness Harris and was issued with a parliamentary pass in respect of this role. However, Baroness Harris recognises that in view of Mr Ashby’s other commercial interests this arrangement is open to misinterpretation and she will therefore now withdraw Mr Ashby’s pass.”
