Savoy Mafia

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Group.png Savoy MafiaRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Type• secret
• deep state
InterestsAl-Yamamah arms deal
Interest ofSimon Regan
Membership[[|?]]
A deep state group tied to UK arms deals.

Origins

The 'Savoy Mafia' were a group of financiers, businessmen, arms dealers, senior Ministry of Defence officials, spooks and conservative politicians who met regularly at the Savoy Grill. Financial Times journalist Richard Donkin reports that Gerald James opined that what most of its members had in common was a desire to make a lot of money exploiting export credit guarantees – a government-backed (that means taxpayer backed) system that underwrites export deals.[1][2]

Leadership

The Independent reported on the group in 1994, naming its leader as Alan Curtis, the former chairman of Lotus and long-time friend of Denis Thatcher.[3]

Activities

Members of this group, "were instrumental in finding work in the US for Mark Thatcher"[1], whose name alone, it was decided "would be sure to impress the Arabs".[3] Together with Le Cercle, they would seem to have been involved in the Al-Yamamah arms deal.

Exposure

Simon Regan published about the Savoy Mafia in Scallywag.[4]


 

Related Document

TitleTypePublication dateAuthor(s)Description
Document:Closing the Stable Doorwebpage6 March 2007Richard Donkin
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References