Flashback: when Liam Fox accepted support from Big Pharma
12:23 pm - October 24th 2010
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contribution by Ben Six
A few months ago, the charity Atlantic Bridge was found guilty by the charity commission of being too party political.
It’s worth noting that in May 2003, Liam Fox, then Shadow Secretary for Health, put on a conference organised by his Atlantic Bridge think-tank.
Titled “Scientific Research and Medical Provision”, it featured a representative from Pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline who, possibly embittered by their most recent court case, spoke out on “threats to development” (“regulation” and “militant activists”).
A delegate from Pfizer condemned Britain’s supposed “anti-innovation culture” while a critic of government-controlled medicine asked “[whether] the…UK health care model [was] sustainable”.
The agenda of the conference seems pretty obvious.
What’s less clear is whether the opinion-shapers in attendance – including figures from the Times, the Economist, the BBC and others – knew their host accepted sponsorship from Pfizer themselves.
Fox’s register of interests shows that he received significant backing in June 2003, so the only other chance is that it represented a “thank-you” present.
His Register of Interest states:
A researcher based in my office works exclusively for the Atlantic Bridge, a UK-American think-tank of which I am a founder member. In this role she receives funding from Pfizer Inc. She has no function in any health role. (Registered 13 June 2003)
Note, it doesn’t point out that Atlantic Bridge was also a charity.
At a time when they were being charged for testing risky drugs on helpless Nigerian kids, funding anti-regulatory promotion takes some balls.
As for Mr Fox, who chaired this smooth propagandistic meet-up, what else can one expect from the man who said he “do[es]n’t think we support our defence industry enough” at an event sponsored by the folks at BAE.
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Story Filed Under: Blog ,Conservative Party ,Westminster
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Reader comments
Tories hate the NHS and are the puppets of big business.
Nothing to see here move along…..
Except we are seeing an increasingly militant attitude from big business. They hate democracy and want control of everything. In the US thanks to their puppets on the supreme court they have managed to get a ruling that allows them to contribute as much money to politicians as they want, and also keep it secret from the public. They are flooding the TV ad market with adds that attack Democrats but do not reveal who they are acting for. They all have bullshit apple pie names like ‘concerned tax payers of America” and other astro names. But they general theme is that big business wants to control everything. And wants no accountability.
What a shame right wing parties are so glad to go along with this destruction of freedom.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
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Liberal Conspiracy
Flashback: when Liam Fox accepted support from Big Pharma http://bit.ly/aGzhVc
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Brian Moylan
RT @libcon: Flashback: when Liam Fox accepted support from Big Pharma http://bit.ly/aGzhVc #atlanticbridge #liamfox #labour
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Charity
Flashback: when Liam Fox accepted support from Big Pharma …: UK health care model [was] sustainable”. The agenda… http://bit.ly/9jivZ4
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Pucci Dellanno
RT @libcon: Flashback: when Liam Fox accepted support from Big Pharma http://bit.ly/aGzhVc
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Liam Fox
RT @libcon: Flashback: when Liam Fox accepted support from Big Pharma http://bit.ly/aGzhVc
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