Embargo until 11 am, 9 March 2005

PRESS RELEASE

New campaign to stop the 'revolving door' between Government and arms companies, Wednesday 9 March 2005

Photo-call: At 11.00 am on Wednesday 9 March at the entrance to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London where the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) is holding a Symposium, a life size door set on an axis at a peculiar angle, will be set revolving by an actor dressed as a civil servant to illustrate the 'revolving door' between the arms companies and government. A banner saying ‘Lock the revolving door’ with a key graphic and placards will be on display and a small crowd of protesters from CAAT is expected.


LONDON: Campaign Against Arms Trade is launching its new campaign to stop the inappropriate movement of staff between Government and arms companies or the 'revolving door' as its sometimes known[1]. CAAT will be protesting at a symposium held by the Government's Defence Export Services Organisation, a civil service department promoting arms exports [2], at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London on Wednesday 9 March 2005. About fifty people are expected to attend with placards and street theatre.

The revolving door between Government and arms companies is one of the mechanisms that allows arms companies inappropriate access to government and 'corporate capture'[3]. CAAT's new campaign 'Call the Shots' aims to redress the public interest by exposing these mechanisms and calling for safeguards to be introduced.

Beccie D'Cunha from Campaign Against Arms Trade, said
"Arms companies are calling the shots when it comes to arms export policy. If we want to end government support of arms exports we need to challenge this political influence and reclaim democracy."[4]

She added

"The revolving door is a shocking example of arms companies gaining direct access to the heart of government and capturing government policy. The public interest would be better served by ending the revolving door with a mandatory cooling off period of five years."

ENDS

Contact CAAT: 020 7281 0297

EDITORS NOTES

[1]On average, between 1997 and 2004, 39% of all applications to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (the body that regulates moves to private sector employment by the "most senior members of the Civil Service, the Armed Forces and the Diplomatic Service"), were made by individuals working in the MoD. Presently there is a voluntary three month cooling-off period between staff leaving the Government/civil service/armed forces and taking employment with arms companies. CAAT is calling for a mandatory five year cooling-off period.

[2] The Defence Export Services Organisation employs 600 civil servants to promote arms exports from UK based arms companies. The head of DESO is an arms company executive. See www.deso.mod.uk for more information.

[3] Mechanisms for corporate capture include: 'revolving doors' where people move between employment in arms companies and the Government, the governing Party, the military and the civil service; Government advisory bodies that are over represented by arms company representatives; lobby companies often staffed with former Government/ governing Party insiders; Peers in the pay of arms companies; sponsorship to the governing Party by arms companies; and increasing private provision of military services via Public Private Partnerships.

[4] Details of the mechanisms for corporate capture of the Government's arms export policy are contained in the report 'Who calls the shots? How government-corporate collusion drives arms exports' is available on paper or online at: www.caat.org.uk/information/government.php