Difference between revisions of "Charles Powell"
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{{person | {{person | ||
| − | | | + | |wikipedia=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Powell%2C_Baron_Powell_of_Bayswater |
|description=Le Cercle, House of Lords, Key advisor to Thatcher, on the payroll of various defence companies | |description=Le Cercle, House of Lords, Key advisor to Thatcher, on the payroll of various defence companies | ||
|constitutes=diplomat, politician, businessman | |constitutes=diplomat, politician, businessman | ||
| + | |image=Charles_Powell,_Baron_Powell_of_Bayswater.jpg | ||
|birth_date=6 July 1941 | |birth_date=6 July 1941 | ||
| + | |birth_name=Charles David Powell | ||
| + | |nationality=UK | ||
| + | |alma_mater=The King's School, The Cathedral Choir School, New College (Oxford) | ||
|parents=John Frederick Powell | |parents=John Frederick Powell | ||
|spouses=Carla Bonardi | |spouses=Carla Bonardi | ||
| Line 21: | Line 25: | ||
|end=2005 | |end=2005 | ||
|description=}}{{job | |description=}}{{job | ||
| − | |title= | + | |title=Said Business School Foundation/Chairman |
|start=1997 | |start=1997 | ||
|end= | |end= | ||
| Line 40: | Line 44: | ||
|end= | |end= | ||
|description=}}{{job | |description=}}{{job | ||
| − | |title=Private Secretary to The Prime Minister | + | |title=Private Secretary to The UK Prime Minister |
|start=1983 | |start=1983 | ||
|end=1991 | |end=1991 | ||
|description=}} | |description=}} | ||
| − | }} | + | }}''Not to be confused with [[Charles Powell (Integrity Initiative)]], a member of the [[II]]'s [[Spanish Cluster]]'' |
| + | |||
| + | '''Charles David Powell, Baron Powell of Bayswater''', is a [[spooky]] British diplomat, politician and [[businessman]]. He was Private Secretary to PMs [[Margaret Thatcher]] and [[John Major]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Charles Powell attended [[Le Cercle]]. | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
| − | Charles Powell | + | Charles Powell went to [[The Cathedral Choir School]], Canterbury, [[The King's School]], Canterbury and then got a BA in modern history from [[New College, Oxford]] in 1963. |
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| Line 53: | Line 61: | ||
==Al-Yamamah arms deal == | ==Al-Yamamah arms deal == | ||
| − | Powell was seconded to [[10 Downing Street]] and | + | {{FA|Al-Yamamah arms deal}} |
| + | [[image:Al yamamah.jpg|right|300px]] | ||
| + | Powell was seconded to [[10 Downing Street]] and was Private Secretary to [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1983 to 1990) and then as Private Secretary to [[John Major]] (1990 to 1991). During his time working for Mrs Thatcher, he became one of her most trusted foreign policy aides, and helped broker the [[Al-Yamamah]] [[arms deal]] with [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref name="bae files">{{cite news |title=BAE Files: Charles Powell|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jun/07/bae20|publisher=BBC|date=2007-06-07|accessdate=2008-03-18 | location=London | first=David | last=Leigh}}</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==A tale of two Powells== | ||
| + | {{QB| | ||
| + | :In 1988, a US Navy warship shot down an [[Iran]]ian airliner, [[Iran Air Flight 655]], killing all 290 civilians on board. Newly declassified files show how [[Margaret Thatcher]]’s government offered immediate support to the [[US]], and assisted in the cover-up. | ||
| + | |||
| + | :On 2 March 2000, UK foreign secretary [[Robin Cook]] met with US General [[Colin Powell]], who had served as [[Ronald Reagan]]’s National Security Adviser between 1987 and 1989. | ||
| + | |||
| + | :[[Colin Powell|Powell]] “spoke frankly” throughout the discussion, leading [[Robin Cook|Cook]] to request that the US General’s “confidence… be strictly protected”. | ||
| + | |||
| + | :In particular, [[Colin Powell|Powell]] recalled that, after the US shot down [[Iran Air Flight 655]], [[Margaret Thatcher]]’s private secretary for foreign affairs Charles Powell “had rung immediately from Downing Street to ask what the Americans wanted the British Government to say”.<ref>''[https://www.declassifieduk.org/britain-immediately-supported-us-over-shooting-down-of-iranian-airliner/ "Britain ‘immediately’ supported U.S. over shooting down of Iranian airliner"]''</ref>}} | ||
==Russian Business== | ==Russian Business== | ||
| Line 68: | Line 88: | ||
==Brunei conflict of interest== | ==Brunei conflict of interest== | ||
| − | In 2005, it was revealed that Powell had been acting as [[Tony Blair]]'s special envoy to [[Brunei]], an unpaid role, for several years. This was controversial because Powell was on the payroll of [[BAE Systems]], and the company was at the time in dispute with Brunei over the purchase of three warships. Lord Powell denied a conflict of interest over both his links to BAE and the fact his brother [[Jonathan Powell]] was | + | In 2005, it was revealed that Powell had been acting as [[Tony Blair]]'s special envoy to [[Brunei]], an unpaid role, for several years. This was controversial because Powell was on the payroll of [[BAE Systems]], and the company was at the time in dispute with Brunei over the purchase of three warships. Lord Powell denied a conflict of interest over both his links to BAE and the fact his brother [[Jonathan Powell]] was [[Tony Blair]]'s chief of staff.<ref>{{cite news |title=Blair's special envoy to Brunei on BAE payroll|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/08/bae.whitehall|publisher=Guardian|date=2005-10-08|accessdate=2008-03-18 | location=London | first=Ewen | last=MacAskill}}</ref> |
==Companies== | ==Companies== | ||
Latest revision as of 20:21, 15 April 2024
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| Born | Charles David Powell 6 July 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | UK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | The King's School, The Cathedral Choir School, New College (Oxford) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parents | John Frederick Powell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Carla Bonardi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of | Barrick Gold, Council on Foreign Relations/Global Board of Advisors, European Council on Foreign Relations, Henry Jackson Society, International Institute for Strategic Studies/Advisory Council, Le Cercle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Le Cercle, House of Lords, Key advisor to Thatcher, on the payroll of various defence companies
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Not to be confused with Charles Powell (Integrity Initiative), a member of the II's Spanish Cluster
Charles David Powell, Baron Powell of Bayswater, is a spooky British diplomat, politician and businessman. He was Private Secretary to PMs Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
Charles Powell attended Le Cercle.
Contents
Background
Charles Powell went to The Cathedral Choir School, Canterbury, The King's School, Canterbury and then got a BA in modern history from New College, Oxford in 1963.
Career
Charles Powell became a diplomat in 1963. His first posting was as Third Secretary to Helsinki in 1965, where he was promoted to Second Secretary. In 1968, he returned to London, spending three years at the FCO. He was posted as First Secretary to Washington, D.C. in 1971, and became the Ambassador's Private Secretary. Subsequent postings were to Bonn in 1974 and, as Counsellor, to UKREP Brussels in 1980.[1]
Al-Yamamah arms deal
- Full article: Al-Yamamah arms deal
- Full article: Al-Yamamah arms deal
Powell was seconded to 10 Downing Street and was Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher (1983 to 1990) and then as Private Secretary to John Major (1990 to 1991). During his time working for Mrs Thatcher, he became one of her most trusted foreign policy aides, and helped broker the Al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia.[2]
A tale of two Powells
- In 1988, a US Navy warship shot down an Iranian airliner, Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 civilians on board. Newly declassified files show how Margaret Thatcher’s government offered immediate support to the US, and assisted in the cover-up.
- On 2 March 2000, UK foreign secretary Robin Cook met with US General Colin Powell, who had served as Ronald Reagan’s National Security Adviser between 1987 and 1989.
- Powell “spoke frankly” throughout the discussion, leading Cook to request that the US General’s “confidence… be strictly protected”.
- In particular, Powell recalled that, after the US shot down Iran Air Flight 655, Margaret Thatcher’s private secretary for foreign affairs Charles Powell “had rung immediately from Downing Street to ask what the Americans wanted the British Government to say”.[3]
Russian Business
E. P. Heidner refers to Lord Powell as a "key member" of "Diligence and its sister company New Bridge... demonstrat[ing] the Western political and financial muscle working with the Yeltsin family".[4]
House of Lords
He is a member of the House of Lords and has been on a range of committees since 2000:
- Procedure Committee Jun 2015 -
- Constitution Committee Jun 2010 - Mar 2015
- European Union Committee Nov 2006 - Apr 2010
- EU Sub-Committee B - Internal Market Nov 2006 - Apr 2010
- Economic Affairs Committee Jun 2005 - Nov 2006
- EU Sub-Committee C - Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development Policy Nov 2003 - Nov 2004[5]
Brunei conflict of interest
In 2005, it was revealed that Powell had been acting as Tony Blair's special envoy to Brunei, an unpaid role, for several years. This was controversial because Powell was on the payroll of BAE Systems, and the company was at the time in dispute with Brunei over the purchase of three warships. Lord Powell denied a conflict of interest over both his links to BAE and the fact his brother Jonathan Powell was Tony Blair's chief of staff.[6]
Companies
As of 2015, he was receiving a salary in the following capacities:
- Chairman, Advisory Board, Rolls-Royce International
- Chairman, Advisory Board, Bowmark Capital
- Member, International Advisory Board, Barrick Gold
- Member, Advisory Board, Thales UK
- Member, International Advisory Board, ACE Insurance
- Adviser, BAE Systems
- Adviser, HCL Technologies (India)[5]
Deep political connections
He attended Le Cercle in the early 1990s. As of 2015, he was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations/Global Board of Advisers.[5]
Family
His brother, Jonathan Powell, was chief of staff to Tony Blair throughout his period as UK Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007, and his father was Air Vice-Marshal John Frederick Powell.
Events Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munich Security Conference/2009 | 2009 | 2009 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 45th Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2010 | 5 February 2010 | 7 February 2010 | Germany Munich Bavaria | An anti-war demonstration outside described it as "Nothing more than a media-effectively staged war propaganda event, which this year had the purpose of justifying the NATO troop increase in Afghanistan and glorifying the continuation of the war as a contribution to peace and stability." |
| Munich Security Conference/2012 | 3 February 2012 | 5 February 2012 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 48th Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2013 | 1 February 2013 | 3 February 2013 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 49th Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2014 | 31 January 2014 | 2 February 2014 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 50th Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2015 | 6 February 2015 | 8 February 2015 | Germany Munich Bavaria | "400 high-ranking decision-makers in international politics, including some 20 heads of state and government as well as more than 60 foreign and defence ministers, met in Munich to discuss current crises and conflicts." |
| Munich Security Conference/2016 | 12 February 2016 | 14 February 2016 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 52nd Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2017 | 17 February 2017 | 19 February 2017 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 53rd Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2018 | 12 February 2018 | 14 February 2018 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 54th Munich Security Conference |
| Munich Security Conference/2019 | 15 February 2019 | 17 February 2019 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 55th Munich Security Conference, which included "A Spreading Plague" aimed at "identifying gaps and making recommendations to improve the global system for responding to deliberate, high consequence biological events." |
| Munich Security Conference/2020 | 14 February 2020 | 16 February 2020 | Germany Munich Bavaria | The 56th Munich Security Conference, in 2020, "welcomed an unprecedented number of high-ranking international decision-makers." |
| Munich Security Conference/2022 | 18 February 2022 | 20 February 2022 | Germany Munich Bavaria | Slightly less than 1/3 of the 664 of the participants have pages here |
Many thanks to our Patrons who cover ~2/3 of our hosting bill. Please join them if you can.
References
- ↑ The Diplomatic Service List 1989 (page 278), HMSO, ISBN 0-11-591707-1.
- ↑
{{URL|example.com|optional display text}} - ↑ "Britain ‘immediately’ supported U.S. over shooting down of Iranian airliner"
- ↑ Document:Collateral_Damage_911
- ↑ a b c http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-powell-of-bayswater/2527
- ↑
{{URL|example.com|optional display text}}
