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British Conservative Party politician & life peer (b.1966) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gregory Leonard George Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, PC (born 8 March 1966) is a British Conservative Party politician and life peer, whose career has been overshadowed by controversies, including his links to Russian oligarchs, involvement in the MPs' expenses scandal, and calls from fellow MPs for him to be stripped of his peerage. Appointed as Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change in May 2010, he served in this capacity until 2014. He did not seek re-election in the 2015 general election and subsequently was appointed to the House of Lords.
The Lord Barker of Battle | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2011 | |
| Minister of State for Climate Change | |
| In office 12 May 2010 – 14 July 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | The Lord Hunt of Kings Heath |
| Succeeded by | Amber Rudd |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 10 November 2015 Life Peerage | |
| Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle | |
| In office 7 June 2001 – 30 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Wardle |
| Succeeded by | Huw Merriman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 March 1966 Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Celeste Harrison (1992–2006) |
| Domestic partner | George Prassas[1] (2008-Present) |
| Alma mater | Royal Holloway College, London |
| Website | www.gregorybarker.com |
Born in Sussex, Barker attended Upper Beeding Primary School, Steyning Grammar School and Lancing College. In 1987, he earned a bachelor's degree in history and politics from Royal Holloway College, London.[2] In 1990–91, he attended a corporate finance programme at London Business School.[3]
Barker was a researcher at the Centre for Policy Studies in 1987, before joining Gerard Vivian Gray[4] as an equity analyst in 1988, and was a member of the Honourable Artillery Company between 1989 and 1994. In 1990, he became the director for International Pacific Securities. He was the deputy chairman of Hammersmith Conservative Association in 1993. From 1998, he was a director of Daric plc, an advertising company.
Barker also developed strong links to the Russian oil companies, being head of communications at the Anglo-Siberian Oil Company from 1998 to 2000 and also worked in London and Moscow for the Sibneft Oil Group, owned by Roman Abramovich.
Barker was at first unsuccessful in his attempts to be elected to Parliament when he contested the safe Labour seat of Eccles in Greater Manchester, where he was defeated by Ian Stewart. Barker then became the deputy chairman of Tooting Conservative Association and an advisor to Conservative MP David Willetts.
In 2001, Barker became the MP for Bexhill and Battle after the retirement of the sitting Conservative MP, Charles Wardle. Barker's nomination by the Conservative Party was hotly debated when sitting MP and former Home Office minister Charles Wardle accused Barker of being disingenuous about his business career and after the election, formally requesting new Conservative Party Leader Iain Duncan Smith to investigate possible links between Barker and the infamous Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky.[5] Wardle supported Nigel Farage (who later became the Leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party), but Barker won the safe seat securing over 10,500 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate, Stephen Hardy.
Close to Conservative leader David Cameron, Barker, in his capacity as Shadow Environment Minister (which he served in from 2005 to 2008), accompanied Cameron on his trip to the Arctic Circle in April 2006 for a fact-finding mission about global warming.
In April 2011, Barker was filmed addressing an audience at the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, during which he said of the Conservative-led British government: "We are making cuts that Margaret Thatcher, back in the 1980s, could only have dreamed of."[6]
Barker was implicated in the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal for his purchase and sale of London flats; this led to widespread outrage from tax payers.[7][8]
On 5 February 2013 MP Gregory Barker voted in favour in the House of Commons Second Reading vote on marriage equality in Britain.[9]
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On 14 July 2014, he announced he would not be standing at the 2015 general election.[10]
In August 2015, Barker was nominated for a life peerage in the Dissolution Peerages List.[11] On 12 October 2015, he was created Baron Barker of Battle, of Battle in the County of East Sussex.[12] On 10 November of that year, he was introduced to the Lords. He was supported during the ceremony by John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley, and Guy Black, Baron Black of Brentwood.[13]
In February 2019, Barker took a leave of absence from the House of Lords upon accepting an executive chairmanship position with the En+ Group.[14] Barker was credited with having helped the Russian company to have the US sanctions lifted earlier that year, for which he was awarded a bonus of about £3-4 million (US$3.9-$5.2 million) that he described as "relatively modest".[15][14]
2009 - MPs' Expenses Scandal Greg Barker became embroiled in controversy during the MPs' expenses scandal. He was accused of exploiting taxpayer funds to purchase and later sell a flat in London, netting a £320,000 profit. This incident highlighted the misuse of the controversial second homes allowance, which was intended to support MPs in maintaining a secondary residence closer to Parliament, not to fund property investments.[16]
2010-2014 - Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Role As Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, Barker's policies and decision-making processes came under scrutiny. Critics questioned the effectiveness of his environmental policies and pointed out potential conflicts of interest given his ties to the energy sector. These concerns were exacerbated by his previous and subsequent involvement with energy companies, particularly those with Russian connections.[17]
2017 - Association with EN+ Group Barker’s appointment as chairman of EN+ Group, a company part-owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska—who was under U.S. sanctions—sparked significant controversy. His role was seen as providing a veneer of legitimacy to a company directly linked to the Russian state, raising ethical questions about his participation in easing the path for Russian capital in Western markets.[18]
2018 - Salisbury Nerve-Agent Attack Response Following the Salisbury nerve-agent attack, Barker was noted for his refusal to sever ties with Russian associates, despite the British government's stance against Russian aggression. His reported attempts to discuss government assistance for Russian oligarchs during a sensitive geopolitical period were particularly controversial and seen as a conflict with national security interests.[19]
2022 - BBC Interview and Climate Policy Criticism In a BBC interview regarding climate policy at COP 27, Barker was criticised for not disclosing his significant financial and professional ties to Russian oligarchs and industries responsible for substantial carbon emissions. The interview was seen as a failure by the BBC to uphold its standards of neutrality and transparency, as Barker used the platform to advocate for positions that could benefit his associates and business interests without appropriate scrutiny.[20]
Barker was appointed as Independent Chairman of the Board of Directors of En+ Group in October 2017, a company owned by the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who sits on the U.S. sanctions list.[3][21] In February 2019, he was appointed as Executive Chairman of the Board.[3] In March 2022 he resigned as chairman of EN+. The Guardian wrote, "The new company [a company En+ is considering setting up] would be owned by management and non-Russian investors, and potentially led by Barker, according to a report by Bloomberg News that was referenced by EN+. It would take on Rusal's alumina, bauxite and aluminium assets across the world, including in Africa, Australia and Europe."[22]
Barker married Celeste Harrison, an heiress to the Charles Wells brewery fortune, in 1992. Following a diary report in The Observer,[23] Barker confirmed he and his wife had separated, and on 26 October 2006 the tabloid newspaper the Daily Mirror revealed that he had left his wife and children for vintage fashion expert William Banks-Blaney. The paper backed the story by quoting his mother-in-law.[24] The Independent on Sunday later reported that Barker has confirmed that he is gay.[25]
In 2009, Barker's wealth was estimated at £3.9 million.[26]
In May 2012, Barker attracted media attention, after it was reported he had used a staff microwave at the Department of Energy and Climate Change to warm a cushion for his pet dachshund, Otto.[27]
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