Trustee of Science Museum Group is partner at oil and gas lobbyist

1. Sarah Sands has been a trustee of the Science Museum Group (“SMG”) since November 2022.
2. Ms Sands’ bio on the SMG website (screen shot in Figure 1) omits important information. The omission? She’s a partner at Hawthorn Advisors, the well-connected consultant lobbyist.

Figure 1. Trustee Sarah Sands bio: Science Museum Group website

3. SMG does tell us Ms Sands is “co-chair of the committee of the Braemar Science Summit”, however. What it doesn’t say: Hawthorn Advisors organises the annual Braemar Summit (see previous post).
4. Meanwhile, photos on the Braemar Summit website show Dr Roger Highfield, science director at SMG, also participated in the most recent event, which took place in September 2023 (screen shot in Figure 2). As science director, Dr Highfield is a senior manager at SMG.

Figure 2. Dr Roger Highfield (top centre) at 2023 Braemar Summit

5. What’s more, Dr Highfield isn’t a mere participant. He’s involved in organising the Braemar Summit, according to Ms Sands: “I am also a trustee of the Science Museum and rely on the science director there, Roger Highfield, to advise on the most significant advances in science.” (screen shot in Figure 3)

Figure 3. Sarah Sands looks back on 2022 Braemar Summit

6. Further, Dr Highfield wrote a breathless paean to the Braemar Summit, following the 2022 event (screen shot in Figure 4). For the avoidance of doubt, he writes in his capacity as science director at SMG.

Figure 4. Dr Roger Highfield on the “spirit” of the Braemar Summit

7. Hawthorn’s current clients include Brindex (trade body for British independent oil and gas exploration companies); GT Energy (geothermal energy company, part of IGas Energy, which is a UK oil and gas group); Seplat Energy (leading Nigerian oil and gas company); and Star Energy (UK oil and gas company).
8. On 31 October 2023, a SMG representative attended the first UK Museum COP at Tate Modern, which was organised by the National Museum Directors’ Council (“NMDC”). “The event secured consensus from museum leaders on collective action to decarbonise the sector and mitigate the impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises”, according to the NMDC website.
9. While “Sustainability: Act on climate change and sustainability” is one of SMG’s strategic priorities. It proclaims: “We will be a world leader in public engagement with climate change science and solutions, and will be Net Zero by 2033.”
10. In light of SMG’s public commitments on climate change and sustainability, it’s reasonable to ask whether a trustee should be a partner at an oil and gas lobbyist.
11. Then there’s a second problem: the joint working between SMG and Hawthorn Advisors for the Braemar Summit. Thus Ms Sands is blurring the separation between her role as a trustee and as a partner at the lobbying firm. This overlap risks undermining the independence and credibility of SMG.
12. Finally, the latest SMG annual report and accounts, made up to 31 March 2023, reveal Ms Sands isn’t a mere trustee. She’s also chair of the “partnership panel”, a board subcommittee that makes recommendations to the board on “prospective partnerships across SMG”. In other words, lobbyist Ms Sands is key to who SMG works with.
13. When asked for comment, a spokesman for SMG said in an email: “Sarah is a much-valued member of the Board of Trustees. Like all Trustees she follows a code of conduct and declares interests where appropriate. Sarah’s role as co-chair of the committee of the Braemar Science Summit, which showcases the best UK ideas in science policy and entrepreneurship, is mentioned on our website where we also share an annual declaration made by all Trustees. In Sarah’s case this includes her work for Hawthorn Advisors, a strategic communications business that provides advice to a wide range of private and public companies, governments, schools and charities.”
14. ADDENDUM: Sir Ben Elliot, who was co-chair of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022, co-founded Hawthorn in 2013. His other roles include trustee of charity the Victoria and Albert Museum (“V&A”) since 2017. On 12 March 2022, I revealed that Mr Elliot hosted private events at the world-renowned museum about exhibitions. Thus Mr Elliot blurred the separation between his role as a trustee and as a founding director of Quintessentially, the luxury lifestyle group and global concierge service.

Tory accounts fail to disclose related-party transaction with V&A

1. The latest Victoria and Albert Museum (“V&A”) annual report and accounts, made up to 31 March 2023, show the charity received £18k from the Conservative Party that year, down from £21k the previous year. The museum identifies the Tories as a related party because V&A trustee Sir Ben Elliot was Tory co-chair to September 2022.
2. In June 2022, the Conservatives held their fundraising summer party at the V&A. The £18k is presumably what the political party paid to hire the venue.
3. “There was no involvement from Ben Elliot” in arranging last year’s shindig. By contrast, the trustee had been involved in arranging the November 2021 Tory fundraising event at the V&A, as I revealed on 12 June 2023.
4. On 24 August 2023, the Electoral Commission published the UK political parties’ accounts, for year ending 31 December 2022. The Conservatives list related-party transactions in note 19 to the financial statements. There related-party income –
   donations and donations in-kind from related parties – is shown.
5. No related-party expenditure is disclosed, however. Note 19 states: “Spend on behalf of the Party to promote, support or defend the activity of its members, representatives and leaders in the normal course of their Party of [sic] political activity is not deemed related party expenditure for the purpose of these accounts.”
6. The quoted statement doesn’t explain why note 19 omits to disclose the related-party transaction with the V&A.
7. The Conservative Party didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Hidden governance of V&A

1. Two entities involved in running charity the Victoria and Albert Museum (“V&A”) are not mentioned in the latest annual report and accounts, made up to 31 March 2022. Trustee Sir Ben Elliot, the former co-chair of the Conservative Party (see 12 June 2023 post), is a member of both.
2. A separate document, the latest annual review, also made up to 31 March 2022, lists the membership of both the world-renowned museum’s “international council” – chaired by Sir Ben – and its “corporate advisory board” (screen shot in Figure 1).

Figure 1. V&A annual review 2021-2022: “international council” and “corporate advisory board”

3. I asked the V&A in an email the following five questions about the two entities.
4. First, why are the two entities not mentioned in the latest annual report and accounts?
5. Second, what are the roles of the two entities?
6. Third, how are members appointed to the two entities?
7. Fourth, how often do the two entities meet?
8. Fifth, to whom do the two entities report?
9. By reply, the V&A press office wrote: “Your questions have been passed on to colleagues internally and we’re just awaiting a response.” Yet I’ve received nothing a week after my original email.

The Observer reports my latest exposé of V&A trustee Ben Elliot

1. On 25 June 2023, The Observer newspaper reported my latest exposé of V&A trustee Ben Elliot (see 12 June 2023 post).
2. Here’s the online version of the article, “Senior Tory accused of conflict of interest over V&A fundraiser”: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/25/senior-tory-accused-of-conflict-of-interest-over-va-fundraiser.

Charity Commission declines to comment on the conduct of Rory Brooks

1. I emailed the Charity Commission for comment about the conduct of Rory Brooks, a new board member (see 7 June 2023 post).
2. Mr Brooks is chair of Quintessentially Foundation, the charity linked to the high-profile Quintessentially (UK) Ltd.
3. There continues to be conflicting information on the public record whether Mr Brooks is a shareholder of Quintessentially (UK) Ltd.
4. As you can see, Quintessentially Foundation and Mr Brooks didn’t respond to requests for comment (see 7 June 2023 post).
5. Yet the Charity Commission rightly expects trustees and their charities to be transparent and accountable. New board member Mr Brooks is hardly leading by example.
6. As I say, I asked the Charity Commission for comment. (Mr Brooks and his charity have already shown themselves to be unresponsive and unaccountable.)
7. A spokesperson for the charity regulator said in an email: “We do not have any comment to make on this matter.”
8. ADDENDUM: On 2 March 2021, I revealed that the then new Charity Commission chair, Ian Karet, was failing to lead by example on charity transparency and accountability.

Ben Elliot was involved in arranging November 2021 Tory fundraising event at V&A

1. Ben Elliot has been a trustee of charity the Victoria and Albert Museum (“V&A”) since 2017. His other roles include co-chair of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022.
2. On 12 March 2022, I revealed that Mr Elliot hosted private events at the world-renowned museum about exhibitions. Thus Mr Elliot blurred the separation between his role as a trustee and as a founding director of Quintessentially, the luxury lifestyle group and global concierge service.
3. In November 2021, the Conservatives held a fundraising event at the V&A. Museum emails released under FoI reveal Mr Elliot was involved in arranging the shindig. There was “some early involvement from Ben Elliot, but only in the initial enquiry stage”.
4. Thus Mr Elliot also blurred the separation between his role as a trustee and as Tory co-chair.
5. By contrast, “there was no involvement from Ben Elliot” in arranging last year’s Conservative fundraising summer party at the V&A, which took place in June. Mr Elliot was still party co-chair at the time.
6. Mr Elliot was named in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, published on 9 June 2023. The former Tory co-chair received a knighthood “for political and public service”.

Is new Charity Commission board member a shareholder of Quintessentially (UK) Ltd?

1. On 1 June 2023, the Charity Commission announced the appointment of three new board members, including Rory Brooks, a major Tory donor.
2. On 23 May 2022, I showed there is conflicting information on the public record whether Mr Brooks is a shareholder of Quintessentially (UK) Ltd. Here I show the discrepancy persists in the latest official documents.
3. In 2000, Ben Elliot, former co-chair of the Conservative Party, co-founded the global Quintessentially Group, and continues to serve as a director of UK-registered Quintessentially (UK) Ltd (“Quintessentially”). Quintessentially is a luxury concierge service for the super-rich: members access its “global network of personal lifestyle managers”, who “are ready to bring every wish, new and old, big and small, to fruition”.
4. Mr Elliot served as chair of linked charity Quintessentially Foundation (“QF”) from 2008 until 2020, and remains a trustee. Mr Brooks succeeded founder Mr Elliot as QF chair.
5. On 19 February 2019, I revealed QF spent £2.15m in 2017 – but just £1.12m (51.9 per cent) went to other charities. QF is a grant-making charity that supports other charities only.
6. Mr Brooks is a shareholder of Quintessentially, according to the “related-party transactions” note in the latest accounts for QF, made up to 31 December 2021. (The same disclosure was made in the previous year’s accounts, made up to 31 December 2020.)
7. However, Mr Brooks’ name does not appear in the list of Quintessentially shareholders disclosed in the firm’s “confirmation statement” at Companies House dated 7 October 2022. (The QF chair was also absent from the previous year’s confirmation statement, dated 16 November 2021.)
8. At date of publication the accounts for Quintessentially are long overdue: the next accounts, made up to 30 April 2021, were due by 31 January 2022.
9. QF and Mr Brooks didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Why has Hawthorn Advisors quit PRCA?

1. Consultant lobbyist Hawthorn Advisors Ltd (“Hawthorn Advisors”) is no longer a member of the Public Relations and Communications Association (“PRCA”), according to the member directory on the latter’s website. Why?
2. PRCA is the leading trade body for the PR industry, billing itself as “the world’s largest professional PR body”.
3. Hawthorn Advisors was founded in 2013 by Ben Elliot, who was co-chair of the Conservative Party until 5 September 2022, and John Evans. I last wrote about the well-connected firm, where Mr Evans is chief executive, on 23 December 2022.
4. Companies House records show Mr Elliot was re-appointed as a director of the consultant lobbyist on 1 November 2022.
5. Hawthorn Advisors used to be a member of PRCA, but the agency wasn’t a member of its Public Affairs Board (see 10 January 2022 post).
6. The PRCA Public Affairs Board administers the Public Affairs Code, a code of conduct for entities that carry out public affairs activities. Members of the PRCA Public Affairs Board must disclose their public affairs clients on the publicly accessible Public Affairs Register.
7. It is important to note that the PRCA Public Affairs Board is self-regulation: the public affairs and lobbying industry regulating itself.
8. Despite not being a member of the PRCA Public Affairs Board, Hawthorn Advisors stated it adhered to the Public Affairs Code. The lobbying firm made the disclosure on the statutory Register of Consultant Lobbyists (“the Register”), which is maintained by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (“ORCL”) (see 10 January 2022 post).
9. When I brought these issues to the attention of PRCA, the trade body provided contradictory responses (see 10 January 2022 post).
10. Meanwhile, ORCL said in an email dated 26 May 2022: “Following a clarification from PRCA, all PRCA members are governed by the Public Affairs Code in their conduct of public affairs.” (see 27 June 2022 post)
11. Yet this is nonsensical: the Public Affairs Code makes clear it applies to members of the Public Affairs Board only. How is it therefore possible for Hawthorn Advisors to subscribe to the Public Affairs Code? (see 27 June 2022 post)
12. When I told ORCL in an email I was surprised it was apparently happy with the latest information it received from PRCA, it simply passed the buck to PRCA (see 27 June 2022 post).
13. Back then PRCA didn’t respond to requests for comment.
14. While Hawthorn Advisors was a member of PRCA, then, the trade body for some reason allowed the consultant lobbyist to claim it obeyed the Public Affairs Code, without requiring the firm to publish its public affairs clients on the Public Affairs Register.
15. Hawthorn Advisors has now changed its position: the agency no longer says on the Register it complies with the Public Affairs Code (or any other relevant code of conduct). Further, there ORCL states in a note dated 30 June 2022: “Hawthorn Advisors informed us that they no longer subscribe to PRCA’s code of conduct and requested for our records to be updated accordingly.” (screen shot in Figure 1)

Figure 1. Hawthorn Advisors Ltd: the Register of Consultant Lobbyists at 9 September 2022

16. Yes, but there is a more fundamental – and unremarked – change: Hawthorn Advisors is no longer a member of PRCA.
17. Hawthorn Advisors’ departure from PRCA raises the question whether the trade body finally required the lobbying firm to disclose its public affairs clients on the Public Affairs Register. Did Hawthorn Advisors prefer to leave PRCA quietly, rather than reveal all?
18. Mr Evans didn’t respond to requests for comment.
19. ADDENDUM: It seems I’m not the only one concerned about PRCA’s governance. On 22 November 2022, PRCA appointed a team led by Prof Chris Bones to lead the “comprehensive governance review into the organisation’s policies, procedures and professional frameworks”.

Hawthorn Advisors and Quintessentially were linked while Ben Elliot was Tory co-chair

1. The lobbying firm co-founded by Ben Elliot was linked to his luxury concierge service for the super-rich while he was Tory fundraiser and co-chair.
2. Mr Elliot, who stepped down from his role with the Conservative Party on 5 September 2022, founded consultant lobbyist Hawthorn Advisors with John Evans in 2013. After being appointed Tory co-chair in 2019, Mr Elliot resigned the following year as a director of the consultant lobbyist and put his Hawthorn shares in a trust.
3. On 27 January 2021, I revealed that Ruth Kennedy, also known as Lady Dundas, owns Mr Elliot’s Hawthorn shares in the trust. Ms Kennedy appeared on the Hawthorn website as a “board advisor”, but then vanished (see 27 January 2021 post).
4. Among other roles, Ms Kennedy is a director of Value Retail PLC, which runs The Bicester Collection, “eleven luxury shopping destinations in Europe and China”. She is also a member of the “Value Retail Global Advisory Board” (screen shot in Figure 1).

Figure 1. Ruth Kennedy is a member of the “Value Retail Global Advisory Board”

5. As Tory co-chair, Mr Elliot continued as a director of Quintessentially, the concierge service he co-founded in 2000.
6. Quintessentially is an official partner of The Bicester Collection (screen shot in Figure 2). This means the concierge service is or was linked to Hawthorn Advisors via Ms Kennedy. In other words, there wasn’t a clear separation between Quintessentially and the consultant lobbyist.

Figure 2. Quintessentially is an official partner of The Bicester Collection

7. On 4 August 2021, The Guardian newspaper quoted a spokesperson for Hawthorn: “Ben has been an investor in Hawthorn since 2013, long before he took up his unpaid position as chairman of the Conservative Party. He has never been actively involved in the business. Ben’s shares are in trust and he remains entirely removed from the business.”
8. Yet, as I wrote on 27 January 2021, as the owner of Mr Elliot’s Hawthorn shares in a trust, Ms Kennedy is acting in his interest with his authority. In addition, she is or was a “board advisor”. Mr Elliot is or was therefore hardly uninvolved at Hawthorn while Ms Kennedy is or was a “board advisor”.
9. What’s more, here I have shown another way Mr Elliot was not “entirely removed” from Hawthorn Advisors while he was Tory co-chair: the link between the lobbying firm and Quintessentially.
10. A Hawthorn event that took place in September 2021 at Braemar, Scotland shows Ms Kennedy was involved with the lobbying firm at the time. The “luxury branding and marketing consultant” was a member of the organising committee for the two-day Braemar Summit (screen shot in Figure 3).

Figure 3. Braemar Summit 2021: Ruth Kennedy was a member of the organising committee

11. Meanwhile, the chancellor’s tax-cutting mini-budget on 23 September 2022 contained good news for The Bicester Collection and the rest of the members of Walpole, the trade body for UK luxury (screen shot in Figure 4) (see 4 May 2022 post). Namely, the government is to bring back tax-free shopping for overseas visitors to the UK.

Figure 4. The Bicester Collection is a member of Walpole

12. Walpole that day hailed the chancellor’s decision in a statement on its website.
13. For the avoidance of doubt, Quintessentially isn’t a Walpole member – or at least it isn’t listed as such on the trade body website.
14. Hawthorn Advisors has been acting for Walpole since the period October to December 2021, according to the statutory Register of Consultant Lobbyists, which is maintained by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (“ORCL”). ORCL defines consultant lobbying as lobbying of ministers and permanent secretaries on behalf of a third party, in return for payment.

Figure 5. Sarah Sands is a partner at Hawthorn Advisors

15. The lobbying firm and Walpole are connected via journalist Sarah Sands, who is both a Hawthorn partner (screen shot in Figure 5) and board member at the trade body (screen shot in Figure 6). Small world!

Figure 6. Sarah Sands is a board member at Walpole

16. There’s no suggestion that anyone has done anything illegal.
17. Mr Evans and Mr Elliot didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Hawthorn Advisors: ORCL passes the buck to PRCA on code of conduct

1. The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (“ORCL”) is passing the buck to trade body the Public Relations and Communications Association (“PRCA”) on code of conduct for consultant lobbyists – despite the fact PRCA has again shown itself to be ineffective and unaccountable.
2. Consultant lobbyists must register with ORCL and disclose their clients on the statutory Register of Consultant Lobbyists (“the Register”).
3. A consultant lobbyist can, if applicable, state on the Register that it complies with a relevant code of conduct. One such code of conduct is the Public Affairs Code, which is administered by external body the PRCA Public Affairs Board.
4. The PRCA Public Affairs Board maintains its own register, the Public Affairs Register, where members disclose their public affairs clients.
5. Consultant lobbyist Hawthorn Advisors Ltd (“Hawthorn Advisors”), while a member of PRCA, isn’t a member of the PRCA Public Affairs Board. As such the firm hides its public affairs clients.
6. Hawthorn Advisors was founded in 2013 by Ben Elliot, co-chair of the Conservative Party, and John Evans. I last wrote about the well-connected firm, where Mr Evans is chief executive, on 15 April 2022.
7. The Public Affairs Code makes clear it applies to members of the Public Affairs Board only. So I was surprised to see Hawthorn Advisors says on the Register that it abides by the Public Affairs Code (see 10 January 2022 post).
8. After I brought the matter to ORCL’s attention, it amended Hawthorn Advisors’ entry on the Register to show no relevant code of conduct, while it sought a clarification from PRCA – something I’d already done. Back then I received contradictory responses from PRCA, however (see 10 January 2022 post).
9. Here’s the current version of the Public Affairs Code, downloaded from the PRCA Public Affairs Board website on 27 June 2022: https://dralexmay.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/public-affairs-code-february-2021-23.2.2021.pdf.
10. Meanwhile, I recently noted Hawthorn Advisors again states on the Register that it complies with the Public Affairs Code (screen shot in Figure 1). Further, on 26 May 2022, ORCL said in an email: “Following a clarification from PRCA, all PRCA members are governed by the Public Affairs Code in their conduct of public affairs.”

Figure 1. Hawthorn Advisors Ltd: the Register of Consultant Lobbyists at 30 May 2022

11. Yet, as I say, the Public Affairs Code makes clear it applies to members of the Public Affairs Board only. How is it therefore possible for Hawthorn Advisors to subscribe to the Public Affairs Code?
12. I therefore emailed PRCA for comment in light of ORCL’s last email. Michael Collins, Head of Communications, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
13. I then told ORCL in an email I was surprised it is apparently happy with the latest information it received from PRCA. Why? Because the information is nonsensical in relation to the Public Affairs Code, which is published by the PRCA Public Affairs Board. There I also informed ORCL of PRCA’s non-response to my latest requests for comment, and offered to share the emails to PRCA.
14. By reply, ORCL wrote: “PRCA have provided assurance that all PRCA members are governed by the Public Affairs Code in their conduct of public affairs. If you have any further questions about the PRCA or the Public Affairs Board, you will need to direct them to the PRCA.”
15. A clear cop-out by ORCL. It is fully aware I’ve already communicated extensively with PRCA on this matter. As I’ve repeatedly made clear to ORCL, it – not PRCA – is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information on the statutory Register. That ORCL is apparently happy with the latest information it received from PRCA risks undermining the credibility of the Office.
16. Previously I’ve shown both the PRCA Public Affairs Board and its system of self-regulation for lobbyists lack credibility, given how it handled my complaint about the conduct of ex-lobbyist Paul Bristow MP (see 5 November 2020 post). Another case where the PRCA Public Affairs Board failed to deal appropriately with a complaint is that of former culture minister Ed Vaizey (Lord Vaizey) and lobbying firm FTI Consulting (see 10 September 2021 post).