London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

UK lobbying watchdog clears oil sector post for ex-minister despite alleged conflicts of interest – reports

UK lobbying watchdog clears oil sector post for ex-minister despite alleged conflicts of interest – reports

Despite scrutiny of the “revolving door” between political office and the corporate sector, a former UK foreign minister has been allowed to accept a senior post at an oil firm to which he reportedly had links while in service.

Alan Duncan, a former Tory member of Parliament who held British minister of state positions between 2010 and 2019, was cleared in May by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) to take up the role of business development director at Dutch company Vitol, one of the world’s largest oil traders.

In its advice letter to Duncan, ACOBA, which oversees all applications for private sector employment from former ministers and senior bureaucrats within two years of leaving public service, approved his move on the grounds that he not “draw on any privileged information available to [him] from [his] time in Ministerial office.”

Duncan was also barred from lobbying the UK government on behalf of Vitol or advising the company on any bid or contract relating directly to the work of the government for two years dating from his last day in office.

The letter also mentioned that the former minister had told the committee he “did not meet with Vitol” during his time in office and that “there was no relationship” between his former department and the company.

However, news outlet Declassified UK has reported that Duncan had a number of social meetings with Vitol’s former chief executive Ian Taylor while he was in office and even lobbied two prime ministers for a knighthood for Taylor while he was a minister.

Citing Duncan’s recently-released diaries, titled ‘In The Thick of It’, the outlet noted that the former minister had five social meetings with Taylor, who died in June 2020, and added that Duncan and Taylor had been friends for nearly 40 years. It also reported that Duncan’s new position was “lined up” within four months of leaving office in July 2019.

However, Duncan told the outlet he did not lobby for Taylor “at his request” and said his meetings with Taylor were “entirely personal”.

According to the report, this information has been in the public domain since April, but did not feature in ACOBA’s approval letter. A representative of the watchdog body told the outlet that “not all of the points [raised in the report] relate to the consideration that the Committee is required to make under the government’s Rules.”

In recent months, ACOBA has raised the alarm about an apparent lack of “boundaries” between Whitehall and the private sector, but has also drawn criticism for being toothless.

In April, news emerged that former government procurement officer Bill Crothers had been cleared by the Cabinet Office to join Greensill Capital – the now-failed financial company at the centre of the ongoing lobbying scandal involving former PM David Cameron – as an adviser in 2015 while still working as a civil servant.

Following the revelations, ACOBA chair Eric Pickles told a parliamentary committee that the episode highlighted a “number of anomalies with the system that require... immediate address”, adding that a “revolving door” of officials landing lucrative corporate positions had created a sense among officials they they’ll be “looked after” by their successors.

Pickles also revealed that ACOBA had only scrutinised 108 appointments out of some 34,000 people who left public service over the past year. That admission reignited long-running criticism of the watchdog body as being “ineffectual”.

In 2018, a report by the Public Accounts and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) concluded that ACOBA was “part of an ineffectual system for regulating the ‘revolving door’ between the public and private sector” and admonished the government for not taking the matter seriously.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×