High pressures squeeze and crush, but low pressures damage too. Losing the atom-level buzz that keeps us held safe in the balance of internal and external pressure releases dangerous storms, disorientation and pain, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
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Attack of the spads
Big Tech is building its very own ‘new boys’ network’ out of former special advisers, reveals SOLOMON HUGHES
Nick Clegg
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LAST month I wrote about Google lobbyists being all over the Tory conference, showing how Big Tech is lobbying against tax rises and more regulation.
Google was following the three basic techniques for big corporates to persuade and pressure government. They are: (1) hire political insiders, (2) promise self-regulation to head off real regulation and (3) promise/threaten to give/take jobs and investment.
Soon after I wrote that, Google’s fellow Big Tech firm Facebook did a big “insider hire,” buying former deputy PM Nick Clegg.
You might think Clegg is a loser, who helped break his party by getting into a coalition bed with the Tories, but Clegg is one of the group that wrote the pro-market, pro-privatisation “Orange Book” in 2004. The “Orange Book” LibDems shifted the party rightwards until they went into coalition with the Tories. It screwed their party but opened up their careers.
Thanks to his politics and time in government, Clegg has good connections with Tories, with New Labour pro-privatisation types and with European centrist politicians and regulators. He is especially useful to help Facebook face of Euro-level regulations.
Clegg is one of many who hitched their wagon to political parties and are now riding off to help the big corporations fight off regulation and taxation.
Clegg is joining Baron Allan of Hallam, who is Facebook “vice president, policy solutions.” Baron Allan used to be plain old Richard Allan, the LibDem MP who sat in the same Sheffield seat Nick Clegg later won and lost. Clegg is also joining Karim Palant, who is Facebook’s “UK public policy manager.” Palant was Ed Ball’s “head of policy” from 2011-2015.
Another David Cameron special adviser, Rishi Saha, was Facebook’s “head of public policy”. However, he left to become Amazon’s “director ofpublic olicy” just as that firm faces charges over low taxation and poor workplace rights.
All the Big Tech firms are trying to buy “likes” and get those smiley emoticons from politicians by hiring political insiders to become their lobbyists and spokespeople. They are equally happy to buy New Labour, LibDem and Tory faces.
Consider what happens to New Labour special advisers when they don’t feel so special or wanted any more.
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