Foresight Communications
Foresight Communications Ltd is a rapidly growing public relations company, specialising in political consultancy. It was established on 6 January 2001 by former Downing Street insider, Mark Adams, the most senior former civil servant in political consultancy, and includes highly qualified consultants with experience at the heart of political parties, and at the centre of government, including ministerial office. [1]
Foresight enjoys a close relationship with Robert Durward of the Scientific Alliance: three of its clients are Durward organisations. Its previous address was the same as that of the Scientific Alliance, and its current address is the same as the People's Alliance of Great Britain. According to The Scotsman, Adams and Durward set up the Scientific Alliance together. [2] In 2004, Adams became director of the Scientific Alliance.
Other members of Foresight's team include Patrick Nicholls, who was the Tory MP for Teignmouth for nearly a decade; Jenny Ungless, the ex-Chief of Staff to Iain Duncan Smith; Sarah Pearce, who worked in the Private Office of the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP; and Chris Savage, who was head of industrial policy in the Economic Department of the Trades Union Congress where he worked closely with Labour Ministers and advisers. Foresight communications is a small boutique PR agency which, judging by the previous jobs of its staff, trades on its connections with the world of politics.[3]
Foresight's office in Shafetsbury Avenue suggests that it prefers a certain anonymity. It is not listed as occupying the office in the reception and reception staff will not reveal it is there unless it is asked for by name.
Contents
Launching front groups
In 2001, Foresight helped launch the corporate front group the Scientific Alliance with Richard Durward.[1] The original contact for the Alliance is Richard Durward who is also the director of Foresight client the British Aggregates Association (BAA). [4][5]
Foresight's other clients include the New Party for Britain (also known as the People's Alliance). The New Party is so right-wing that the Tory leader in Scotland, where it operates, called it 'fascist and undemocratic'. Like the Scientific Alliance, this 'People's Alliance', was established by Durward and Adams.
Scientific Alliance
The Scientific Alliance is anti-environmental, anti-organic and pro-GM. It is also pro-nuclear and dismisses climate change. [6] [7]
It runs conferences along with other corporate front groups. In November 2002 it organised a conference on GM called Fields of the Future. The conference chairman was Lord Dick Taverne of the front organisation Sense about Science, and Tracey Brown of Sense about Science helped to find speakers for the event. This is yet another corporate front organsiation.
Pro nuclear activities
At the recent Labour Party Conference, the Alliance held a pro-nuclear meeting with the Nuclear Industry Association. [8]
Employing ministers
In June 2006 Robert Winnet reported in The Sunday Times that a former British minister, Ivor Caplin, had taken "lobbying jobs with two companies — Foresight Communications and MBDA Missile Systems — in breach of the ministerial code." Under the code Caplin was required to seek permission before accepting a job as a defence industry lobbyist. Winnet reported that Foresight "represents the £20 billion Eurofighter jet project and MBDA is an American missile company." The committee demanded that Caplin does not "become personally involved in lobbying ministers or officials for 12 months". [9]
Staff/Consultants
- Mark Adams (Managing Director)
- Chris Savage (Director)
- Sarah Pearce (Director)
- Ivor Caplin (Senior Consultant)
- Patrick Nicholls (Senior Consultant)
- James Gray (Consultant)
- Laura Palts (Rsearcher)
- Pi Kerr (Website Designer)
Past and present clients
Some of Foresight's past and present clients include:[10][11]
- Association of British Insurers
- Beatbullying
- British Aggregates Association
- Business Services Association
- Cheetah Medical Inc
- Citizen Communication
- Capgemini
- East England Arts
- EADS
- Elmo-Tech
- Energis
- EcoGen Developments
- Lufthansa Technik
- New Party for Britain /People's Alliance
- Nord Anglia
- Perfiliate Technologies
- SAP
- Scientific Alliance
- Sodexho
- Summerleaze
- Thames Water
- Unimatic Engineers
Contact details
Mark Adams
Foresight Communications Ltd
130 Shaftesbury Avenue
London
W1D 5EU
Phone: 020 7031 0840
Email: email AT foresight-communications.co.uk
Web: http://www.foresight-communications.co.uk
Resources
References
- ↑ "Mark Adams Managing Director", Foresight Communications, accessed December 2007.
- ↑ Geth Chamberlain, "The rich recluse masterminding Britain's new party", The Scotsman, January 22, 2003.
- ↑ Foresight Communications - 'People', undated, accessed March 2006.
- ↑ Foresight Communications - 'Clients', undated, accessed March 2006.
- ↑ Andrew Rowell, 'Hard rockers', The Guardian, 11 July, 2001.
- ↑ Hamish Macdonell, 'Mystery party to contest elections', The Scotsman, 13 January 2003.
- ↑ Ollie Stone-Lee, 'New party pledges direct democracy', BBC News website, 14 March, 2003.
- ↑ K. Parker Email Re: Agreement with Scientific Alliance (pdf), 28 July, 2004.
- ↑ Robert Winnet "Ex-minister ignored rule and took job as lobbyist", The Sunday Times, June 04, 2006.
- ↑ Foresight Communications - 'Clients', undated, accessed March 2006.
- ↑ Foresight Communications UK Staff and clients 30.11.03-31.05.04
Related SourceWatch Articles
External links
- Gethin Chamberlian, "The rich recluse masterminding Britain's new party". The Scotsman, January 22, 2003
- Foresight Communications home page
