Peer of the Week - Viscount Waverley
Author: Jon Narcross
Published on Sep 18, 2012
Our Peer of the Week series aims to shed some light on the members of the House of Lords who contribute to making laws in the UK. Each week, we’ll look at the chosen Peer’s background, voting and attendance records as well as any controversy associated with their actions, and question whether these really are the best people to be involved in the legislative process.
Who he is:
- A crossbench hereditary member of the House of Lords, he was born John Anderson, and inherited the title from his grandfather who was granted a peerage after serving as Home Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lord Privy Seal during the 1930s and 1940s
- Viscount Waverley is a paid consultant to the Middle East Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), the largest construction company in the Middle East
- The company conduct business across Central Asia and in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries, he also works for Kazmunaigaz, which runs major oil and gas projects
- In the House of Lords, he chairs the six All-Party Parliamentary Groups for Central Asia and regional Central Asia group
Expenses, Voting and Attendance Records:
- Viscount Waverley attended parliament on 124 days in 2011. He claimed expenses of £37,200, tax-free speaking only 3 times and voting 19 times
- In 2000, he voted against the repeal of Section 28, supporting instead the Young amendment that blocked Labour’s attempt to remove it
- Waverley spoke in the House of Lords asking the government to exert influence over the EU to recover debts owed to CCC, the company he consulted for, for unpaid fuel and electricity invoices from international customers
Controversy:
- In 2011, Waverley was an observer of the controversial Kazakh Presidential elections
- Although widespread voter intimidation and forced voting was recorded, Waverley had no complaints about the process, saying on Kazakh state television: "I have no doubt that the result reflects the will of the people,", despite the incumbent president being returned with a majority of 95%
- CCC are major donors to the Conservative party, giving over £118,500 in the last three years channeling donations through a UK registered subsidiary company to avoid falling foul of the ban on foreign donations
- Under the previous Labour government CCC made thousands of pounds in payments for ‘consultancy’ to former Labour Ministers Stephen Byers, the former trade and industry secretary, and Labour peer Lady Symons