Boris Johnson’s business adviser to take lobbying job at Teneo
Boris Johnson’s business adviser has accepted a job at lobbying giant Teneo, less than a week after the Prime Minister announced he would resign.
Alex Hickman will lead the multinational firm’s UK government affairs team, according to Sky News, and he will advise major corporate clients on the latest policy developments in Westminster.
However, current rules bar him from lobbying the government for 18 months after he leaves Number 10.
The appointment will be scrutinised by Westminster’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), which looks at the movement of ministers and government officials into private sector roles after politics.
The body has been branded as a toothless tiger, which has little ability to stop people using their previous contacts and influence in government to benefit corporate clients.
Hickman previously worked as a foreign policy adviser for ex-Prime Minister David Cameron and also headed Business for Sterling – a campaign group that successfully fought against the UK’s adoption of the Euro.
Teneo is a major lobbying firm in the UK and US, and has close historical ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Former Tory foreign secretary Lord William Hague also currently works at the firm as an adviser.