Blair Inc by Francis Beckett

Author:Francis Beckett [Francis Beckett, David Hencke and Nick Kochan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784185954
Publisher: John Blake Publishing
Published: 2015-06-15T16:00:00+00:00

Under the kafala system, Qatari employers can prevent their foreign workers from leaving the country or changing jobs. The rules surrounding the exit permit that foreign workers need to leave the country were likened to modern-day slavery by human rights groups. Qatar has now promised to reform the system in 2015.

The TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said in Union News, ‘Qatar has become a byword for modern slavery, and its disregard for migrant workers’ rights should worry any responsible employer. Whether they are builders, footballers or cleaners, Qatar must treat everyone with respect and dignity. UCL can’t just wash its hands because the workers aren’t directly employed by them. Ethical employment means ensuring decent work at every step in the global supply chain, and the university should respond swiftly and positively to the concerns expressed by so many.’5

UCL told the International Trade Union Confederation that the forced labour it had identified concerned people employed by subcontracting firms used by the Qatar Foundation – a client of the Qatari government’s favourite lobbyist, Brown Lloyd James (BLJ), whose chief executive for the Middle East and Asia is a former Blair staffer, John Watts. Watts worked for the Labour Party before being recruited into Downing Street to be responsible for ‘organizing the Prime Minister’s external presentation at government events, public meetings and visits within the UK and globally in front of the British and international media,’ according to his CV. In July 2007, when Blair left Downing Street, Watts left too and joined BLJ.

By 2012 BLJ listed among its clients the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, as well as several Qatari clients: the Qatar Foundation, Doha Bank, Education City Qatar, Qatargas, Qatar Chamber of Commerce, Qatar Financial Centre, Qatari Diar, Qatarlum and the State of Qatar.

Other clients frequently have a Blair connection. One of them, a charity called the Loomba Foundation, has Cherie Blair as its president, and asked Tony Blair to make a speech for it after he left Downing Street. The speech never happened. An unconfirmed rumour has it that this is because he demanded a £500,000 fee.

But BLJ’s proudest achievement was bringing the FIFA World Cup to Qatar for 2022. We asked Byers if he had helped BLJ to secure the event. He wrote back,

With regard to the Qatar 2022 World Cup, I’m afraid you appear to have been misinformed. I had no involvement in any capacity in the bid from Qatar and have never done any work in any capacity for Brown Lloyd James. I trust this makes the position clear and is helpful. Perhaps you could let me know exactly what it is you have heard about me and I can then give you any further confirmation that you might require about the lack of any role on my part.

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