PRESSURE is mounting on the UK Government to sack an advisor due to conflicts of interest highlighted by campaigners.
The Good Law Project and Compassion in Politics have handed in a dossier of evidence to the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper which details controversial advisor Lord Walney’s commercial interests, which they believe constitute a conflict of interest.
Lord Walney was appointed to the unpaid role of Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption by Boris Johnson.
However, he has remained in place since Keir Starmer came to power — although reports suggest that his position is under review.
Walney is the author of the ‘Protecting our Democracy from Coercion’ report, which called for the UK Government to bring in new restrictions on protests.
However, the dossier states that Walney has commercial interests in organisations whose clients have been targeted by climate change and pro-Palestine protesters — the very groups Walney’s report on clamping down protests would target.
Alongside his government role, Lord Walney is a paid advisor to the lobbying firm, Rud Pedersen Public Affairs, whose clients include fossil fuel companies.
Lord Walney is also the chair of the Purpose Business Coalition, an organisation run by the lobbying firm Crowne Associates, which has had oil giant, BP, and the arms company, Leonardo, as its clients.
“Over the last few years, we have seen an alarming and accelerated attack on protest rights in this country. Our new government should be taking urgent steps to put this right.
“Lord Walney’s influential position as a so-called ‘independent’ government adviser has been utterly compromised by his conflicts of interest.
“The current review of his appointment is the perfect opportunity for the Home Office to act on the evidence we have provided.
Jennifer Nadel, co-director of the cross-party think tank, Compassion in Politics, added: "It is vital for democracy that politicians act with transparency and impartiality. With public faith in the political process at an all time low, any breach of those standards must be dealt with swiftly.
"The evidence we have submitted to the Home Secretary and Prime Minister shows that Lord Walney has abused his position of authority - lobbying for restrictions on the right to protest while being paid by firms who stand to benefit from those restrictions being introduced.
"The prime minister has made restoring trust, decency, and standards in politics a major priority. We urge him to put that promise into action by removing Lord Walney from his position and detailing how his government will prevent such abuses of power from reoccurring in future.”
The campaign groups have also submitted a separate complaint to the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards concerning Lord Walney’s failure to declare his role as chair of the Purpose Defence Coalition — a linked group which includes defence-related organisations.
