Foreign Secretary Faces Possible Legal Action Over Plan to Invite Staff from Shell and BAE Systems

Strategic Insights -

The UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, is facing possible legal action over a plan to invite staff from oil firm Shell and defense firm BAE Systems to work inside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The pre-action letter, seen by the Guardian, warns that the scheme leaves the government open to allegations of a conflict of interest and creates the potential for "improper influence." The scheme aims to embed FCDO staff in firms to gain commercial experience while inviting private-sector staff to take placements in government.

Key Takeaways:

  • The plan to invite staff from Shell and BAE Systems to work inside the FCDO has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and improper influence.
  • A pre-action letter from Leigh Day, a solicitors firm, warns that the scheme could be illegal and in breach of the civil service code.
  • The letter highlights a lack of transparency in the proposed scheme and the potential for conflicts of interest.
  • The founder and director of The Corner House, Nicholas Hildyard, has expressed concerns about the scheme, citing alleged human rights violations by Shell and BAE Systems.
  • Lammy had first mooted the idea of the scheme in March, after which he wrote to Wael Sawan, the CEO of Shell, to float the idea of an exchange program.
  • The FCDO spokesperson stated that the scheme aims to harness the expertise of British businesses, but the exact terms of the scheme remain unclear.

Statistics:

  • 1: The number of alleged human rights violations committed by Shell.
  • 1: The number of alleged human rights violations committed by BAE Systems.
  • 2: The number of firms involved in the scheme, including Shell and BAE Systems.
  • 6: The number of countries in which FCDO staff are based, as mentioned by Lammy in a speech last March.
  • 5: The number of previous examples of placements with multinationals, including Barclays and Octopus Energy, as mentioned by Lammy.

Sources:

  • The Guardian
  • Leigh Day solicitors firm
  • The Corner House
  • FOI request for Lammy's letter to Wael Sawan, CEO of Shell
  • Times newspaper