Gregory Leonard George Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, PC (born 8 March 1966) is a British Conservative Party politician and life peer, whose career has been overshadowed by controversies, including his links to Russian oligarchs, involvement in the MPs' expenses scandal, and calls from fellow MPs for him to be stripped of his peerage. Appointed as Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change in May 2010, he served in this capacity until 2014. He did not seek re-election in the 2015 general election and subsequently was appointed to the House of Lords.
The Lord Barker of Battle | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2011 | |
| Minister of State for Climate Change | |
| In office 12 May 2010 – 14 July 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | The Lord Hunt of Kings Heath |
| Succeeded by | Amber Rudd |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 10 November 2015 Life Peerage | |
| Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle | |
| In office 7 June 2001 – 30 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Wardle |
| Succeeded by | Huw Merriman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 March 1966 Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Celeste Harrison (1992–2006) |
| Domestic partner | George Prassas[1] (2008-Present) |
| Alma mater | Royal Holloway College, London |
| Website | www.gregorybarker.com |
Early life and education
editBorn in Sussex, Barker attended Upper Beeding Primary School, Steyning Grammar School and Lancing College. In 1987, he earned a bachelor's degree in history and politics from Royal Holloway College, London.[2] In 1990–91, he attended a corporate finance programme at London Business School.[3]
Early career
editBarker was a researcher at the Centre for Policy Studies in 1987, before joining Gerard Vivian Gray[4] as an equity analyst in 1988, and was a member of the Honourable Artillery Company between 1989 and 1994. In 1990, he became the director for International Pacific Securities. He was the deputy chairman of Hammersmith Conservative Association in 1993. From 1998, he was a director of Daric plc, an advertising company.
Barker also developed strong links to the Russian oil companies, being head of communications at the Anglo-Siberian Oil Company from 1998 to 2000 and also worked in London and Moscow for the Sibneft Oil Group, owned by Roman Abramovich.
Career
editHouse of Commons
editBarker was at first unsuccessful in his attempts to be elected to Parliament when he contested the safe Labour seat of Eccles in Greater Manchester, where he was defeated by Ian Stewart. Barker then became the deputy chairman of Tooting Conservative Association and an advisor to Conservative MP David Willetts.
In 2001, Barker became the MP for Bexhill and Battle after the retirement of the sitting Conservative MP, Charles Wardle. Barker's nomination by the Conservative Party was hotly debated when sitting MP and former Home Office minister Charles Wardle accused Barker of being disingenuous about his business career and after the election, formally requesting new Conservative Party Leader Iain Duncan Smith to investigate possible links between Barker and the infamous Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky.[5] Wardle supported Nigel Farage (who later became the Leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party), but Barker won the safe seat securing over 10,500 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate, Stephen Hardy.
Close to Conservative leader David Cameron, Barker, in his capacity as Shadow Environment Minister (which he served in from 2005 to 2008), accompanied Cameron on his trip to the Arctic Circle in April 2006 for a fact-finding mission about global warming.
In April 2011, Barker was filmed addressing an audience at the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, during which he said of the Conservative-led British government: "We are making cuts that Margaret Thatcher, back in the 1980s, could only have dreamed of."[6]
Barker was implicated in the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal for his purchase and sale of London flats; this led to widespread outrage from tax payers.[7][8]
On 5 February 2013 MP Gregory Barker voted in favour in the House of Commons Second Reading vote on marriage equality in Britain.[9]
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On 14 July 2014, he announced he would not be standing at the 2015 general election.[10]
House of Lords
editIn August 2015, Barker was nominated for a life peerage in the Dissolution Peerages List.[11] On 12 October 2015, he was created Baron Barker of Battle, of Battle in the County of East Sussex.[12] On 10 November of that year, he was introduced to the Lords. He was supported during the ceremony by John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley, and Guy Black, Baron Black of Brentwood.[13]
In February 2019, Barker took a leave of absence from the House of Lords upon accepting an executive chairmanship position with the En+ Group.[14] Barker was credited with having helped the Russian company to have the US sanctions lifted earlier that year, for which he was awarded a bonus of about £3-4 million (US$3.9-$5.2 million) that he described as "relatively modest".[15][14]
Controversial Activities
edit2009 - MPs' Expenses Scandal Greg Barker became embroiled in controversy during the MPs' expenses scandal. He was accused of exploiting taxpayer funds to purchase and later sell a flat in London, netting a £320,000 profit. This incident highlighted the misuse of the controversial second homes allowance, which was intended to support MPs in maintaining a secondary residence closer to Parliament, not to fund property investments.[16]
2010-2014 - Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Role As Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, Barker's policies and decision-making processes came under scrutiny. Critics questioned the effectiveness of his environmental policies and pointed out potential conflicts of interest given his ties to the energy sector. These concerns were exacerbated by his previous and subsequent involvement with energy companies, particularly those with Russian connections.[17]
2017 - Association with EN+ Group Barker’s appointment as chairman of EN+ Group, a company part-owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska—who was under U.S. sanctions—sparked significant controversy. His role was seen as providing a veneer of legitimacy to a company directly linked to the Russian state, raising ethical questions about his participation in easing the path for Russian capital in Western markets.[18]
2018 - Salisbury Nerve-Agent Attack Response Following the Salisbury nerve-agent attack, Barker was noted for his refusal to sever ties with Russian associates, despite the British government's stance against Russian aggression. His reported attempts to discuss government assistance for Russian oligarchs during a sensitive geopolitical period were particularly controversial and seen as a conflict with national security interests.[19]
2022 - BBC Interview and Climate Policy Criticism In a BBC interview regarding climate policy at COP 27, Barker was criticised for not disclosing his significant financial and professional ties to Russian oligarchs and industries responsible for substantial carbon emissions. The interview was seen as a failure by the BBC to uphold its standards of neutrality and transparency, as Barker used the platform to advocate for positions that could benefit his associates and business interests without appropriate scrutiny.[20]
Business
editBarker was appointed as Independent Chairman of the Board of Directors of En+ Group in October 2017, a company owned by the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who sits on the U.S. sanctions list.[3][21] In February 2019, he was appointed as Executive Chairman of the Board.[3] In March 2022 he resigned as chairman of EN+. The Guardian wrote, "The new company [a company En+ is considering setting up] would be owned by management and non-Russian investors, and potentially led by Barker, according to a report by Bloomberg News that was referenced by EN+. It would take on Rusal's alumina, bauxite and aluminium assets across the world, including in Africa, Australia and Europe."[22]
Personal life
editBarker married Celeste Harrison, an heiress to the Charles Wells brewery fortune, in 1992. Following a diary report in The Observer,[23] Barker confirmed he and his wife had separated, and on 26 October 2006 the tabloid newspaper the Daily Mirror revealed that he had left his wife and children for vintage fashion expert William Banks-Blaney. The paper backed the story by quoting his mother-in-law.[24] The Independent on Sunday later reported that Barker has confirmed that he is gay.[25]
In 2009, Barker's wealth was estimated at £3.9 million.[26]
In May 2012, Barker attracted media attention, after it was reported he had used a staff microwave at the Department of Energy and Climate Change to warm a cushion for his pet dachshund, Otto.[27]
References
edit- ^ "Tory summer party 2013: setting the scene". Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- ^ Election highs for Royal Holloway alumni Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Royal Holloway University of London, 19 October 2007
- ^ a b c "Boardof Directors". EN+ Group. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "Gerrard Investment Management". Gerrard. Barclays Wealth. Archived from the original on 12 August 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ Anne Perkins (13 April 2001). "Row over Tory candidate threatens safe seat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "Video: Minister claims Thatcher could "only have dreamed" of Coalition cuts". Political Scrapbook. 5 April 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
- ^ Watt, Holly (9 May 2009). "Greg Barker: The £320,000 profit on flat bought with taxpayer help". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 May 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "MP will pay thousands to taxman". Brighton Argus. 16 May 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 — UK Parliament". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Out Tory MP Greg Barker steps down as minister and won't stand again in 2015". 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "Dissolution Peerages 2015". Government of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ "notice 2417523". The London Gazette. Archived from the original on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ "Introduction: Lord Barker of Battle". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Lords. 10 November 2015. col. 1925. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Greg Barker leaves Lords to run oligarch Oleg Deripaska's metals empire". The Times (UK). 24 February 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
- ^ "British Lord Barker Got $4 Million Bonus on Deripaska Sanctions Deal". Bloomberg. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "Greg Barker: The £320,000 profit on flat bought with taxpayer help". The Telegraph. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Has the Kremlin Infiltrated the U.K. Parliament?". airmail.news. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ Jolly, Jasper (7 March 2022). "Tory peer Greg Barker resigns as chair of Russian firm EN+". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Top Tory's Firm Implicated in Russian Dirty Money Report". Guido Fawkes. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "BBC Lets Russia-Linked Eco-Loon Tory Off the Hook". Guido Fawkes. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Treasury Designates Russian Oligarchs, Officials, and Entities in Response to Worldwide Malign Activity". U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ Tory peer Greg Barker resigns as chair of Russian firm EN+ The Guardian
- ^ "Can Dave really get his eco policies to fly?". The Observer. 3 February 2010. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: TOP TORY DUMPS WIFE FOR MAN". Daily Mirror. 26 October 2006. Archived from the original on 16 November 2006. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "The pink list 2007: The IoS annual celebration of the great and the gay". The Independent. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ Samira Shackle, Stephanie Hegarty and George Eaton The new ruling class Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine New Statesman, 1 October 2009
- ^ "Energy minister used department microwave to warm sausage dog's cushion". The Telegraph. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
External links
edit
- Gregory Barker MP Official constituency website
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- MP works as hospital ward cleaner, BBC News, 22 June 2007