Summary of business appointments applications - Graeme Wilson
Published 7 December 2016
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Graeme Wilson left his role as Press Secretary to the Prime Minister in July 2016.
1. Partner of Tulchan Communications
Graeme Wilson sought the Committee’s advise about taking up a full-time, paid role as a Partner of Tulchan Communications, a financial communications advisory firm. The Committee noted that Mr Wilson would offer strategic advice to Tulchan Communications’ clients on how to handle press and media issues they may face. He would also offer strategic advice on how the Government might handle issues affecting clients.
When considering this application, the Committee took into account that Mr Wilson had made clear that he would not lobby Government. The Committee noted that Mr Wilson’s role might involve some contact with Government but it would expect him to refrain from making use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts to seek to obtain information that would give Tulchan Communications an unfair advantage.
The Committee also noted that Mr Wilson’s former department had no propriety concerns about this appointment.
The Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office accepted the Committee’s advice that the appointment be subject to the following conditions:
- that he should not draw on any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service;
- for two years from his last day in service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of Tulchan Communications or its clients; and
- he should not make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in Government to seek to obtain information that would give Tulchan Communications or their clients an unfair advantage.
The letter containing the final advice was sent in November 2016 and Mr Wilson took up the appointment in December.