RED STAR RESEARCH - Tony Blair and New Labour's links with Company Bosses and the Rich

Scottish Power

The Scottish Power Group, a huge UK multi-utility company, gave the Labour Party Ł5,000 in sponsorship in 1998. They are one of the largest utility companies in the world. In the UK they supply gas, electricity (they have contracts for nuclear and gas supplies) and water (as Southern Water). They are also involved in telecommunications services. They run 186 shops throughout the UK, selling household electrical goods. In the US they merged with an electricity company, PacifiCorp, in 1999. The Group's combined sales total nearly Ł6.5 billion.

Sir Ian Robinson, Chief Executive of Scottish Power, is Chair of the Scottish Advisory Task Force on the New Deal. He was named as Chair of a 'Pathfinders to the Parliament' group along with Gerard Eadie, Brian Souter and Tom Hunter. The Pathfinders scheme was set up by the Labour controlled Scottish Parliament to give a voice to its rich friends in business. His salary in 1999 was Ł515,293 (plus bonus) and in 1998 it was Ł487,345. He also has a Ł540,333 pension and holds 147,295 share options. He is a Non-Executive Director of Asda and the RMC Group and sits on the President's Committee of the Confederation of British Industry. He received his knighthood in the New Year's Honours List in 1999.