Ripon MP Julian Smith extends £3,000 an hour advisory role

Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith will be paid £3,000 an hour to advise a green energy company for another 12 months.

Mr Smith was first appointed to the advisory position at Ryze Hydrogen in August last year when it was announced he would be paid £60,000 for 20 hours work.

The MP’s register of interests reveals he will have the same arrangement with the company from August 1 until July 31 2022.

Ryze Hydrogen produces and distributes the low-carbon fuel hydrogen. Its chief executive Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Irish bus manufacturer. Mr Bamford is also a board member of the family-owned JCB company.

As Mr Smith was the Northern Ireland secretary until February 2020, he was warned by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments about a “perceived conflict of interest” in taking on the role.

‘Very lucrative remuneration’

Mr Smith has been an MP since 2010 and is paid £81,932 a year for the position.

Alongside his MP’s salary, he earns an additional £130,000 for being an external advisor to three private companies.

Brian McDaid, who stood for the Labour Party against Mr Smith in Skipton and Ripon in 2019, previously told the Stray Ferret that the MP should focus more on his constituents.

He said:

“During these times of austerity and the impact of the pandemic on us all, Mr Smith must be struggling on his MP’s salary to have to seek additional work with very lucrative remuneration.

“His constituents deserve so much better, especially during these very difficult and uncertain times.”

Mr Smith’s three jobs

Ryze Hydrogen: £60,000 for 12 months. He is expected to work 20 hours.

In August last year, Mr Smith took an advisory role with Ryze Hydrogen. Its chief executive Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Ireland bus production company that has a relationship with the Northern Ireland Office in government.

Simply Blue Management: £2,000 a month for one or two hours a month over 12 months.

In January this year, Mr Smith began advising Cork-based firm Simply Blue Management. Its website describes itself as ‘the leading early stage developer of sustainable and transformative marine projects’.

MJM Marine: £60,000 for 12 months. He is expected to work 30 to 40 hours.

From March 2020, Mr Smith began advising MJM Marine on ‘business development’. The company calls itself a ‘leading international specialist in cruise ship refurbishment’. It’s based in County Down, Northern Ireland.

The Stray Ferret contacted both Julian Smith and Ryze Hydrogen about the appointment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Watchdog refuses to release correspondence with Ripon MP over £3,000 an hour role

A parliamentary watchdog has refused to publish its correspondence with Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith about his £3,000-an-hour advisory role.

The Stray Ferret revealed in August Mr Smith would be paid £60,000 for 20 hours work for low carbon transport company Ryse Hydrogen.

Because of his former government role in Northern Ireland, Mr Smith sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments about a potential conflict in taking the role with Ryse.

In 2019, when Mr Smith was Northern Ireland secretary, Jo Bamford, the executive chairman of Ryse, became owner of Ballymena-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus.

The Bamford family owns JCB and are Conservative Party donors.

Read more:

We asked Acoba, which advises former ministers on employment and conflicts of interest after leaving office, to provide details of its correspondence with Mr Smith.

The FoI response said Lord Pickles, chair of Acoba, considered that disclosure of the correspondence “would be likely to inhibit the free and frank provision of advice and exchange of views; and would be likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs”.

It added:

“The information being withheld includes that which was provided voluntarily by Mr Smith to
enable Acoba to properly advise on the application that had been made.

“Disclosure of the information requested would, or would be likely to, make applicants
reluctant to share information as freely with Acoba in future, especially if there was any
perceived sensitivity about the information. This in turn would compromise the advice that
Acoba is able to give.”

The response said the publication of its letter to Mr Smith on its website had fulfilled public interest requirements.

The letter said the appointment was not a conflict of interest, provided Mr Smith does not lobby on behalf of the company or advise on government contracts in the two years after he departed as Northern Ireland secretary in February this year.

The Stray Ferret is to request an internal review of the decision.

 

MP takes advisory role at hydrogen company – at £3,000 an hour

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, has been appointed as an external advisor to a hydrogen company at a rate of £3,000 per hour.

He has been warned by a government advisory committee about the potential for a perceived conflict of interest with his former role as secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

However, the committee concluded that the appointment was not a conflict, so long as Mr Smith does not lobby on behalf of the company or advise on government contracts for two years after he was sacked as Northern Ireland secretary in February this year.

Mr Smith previously did one month’s consultancy work for Ryse Hydrogen Ltd in July, and was paid £15,000 plus VAT for 15 hours’ work. Now, he has been appointed on a year-long arrangement of 20 hours across the next 12 months – and will be paid £60,000 plus VAT.

Read more:

Ryse Hydrogen CEO Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Irish bus production company which has a relationship with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) in government. As former Northern Ireland secretary until February this year, Mr Smith sought advice from the Office of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments about a potential conflict in taking the new role.

In his response, Lord Pickles told Mr Smith:

“The committee considered that, as you met with Mr Bamford whilst in office to discuss the Wrightbus takeover, its growth plans and how NIO could support, there is a risk that this appointment may be perceived as a reward for actions taken in office.

“However, you did not meet with Mr Bamford until after the Bamford Bus Company’s takeover of Wrightbus; the NIO played no role in the takeover; and it confirmed there were no police, regulatory or contractual decisions taken by you whilst in office that affected RHL. It is particularly relevant that although Mr Bamford has said publicly that he will be seeking government funding in relation to a hydrogen bus fleet, this was not within your ministerial portfolio and you make no relevant decisions in office.

“Therefore, the risk this appointment was offered as a result of decisions made for actions taken in office is low.”

The letter warned Mr Smith not to use any information gained during his time as a minister in order to benefit the business, and that he is not allowed to lobby the government on behalf of the business or advise on contracts with the UK government or Northern Ireland executive for two years from the end of his appointment as secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

Mr Smith’s role with the company is expected to be advising on its development and expansion. The letter from Lord Pickles states that Mr Bamford has publicly “expressed a desire to gain government funding to aid in the development of a new fleet of hydrogen buses for the UK”.

Sarah Clarke, policy and communications manager for campaign group Unlock Democracy, said:

“Politicians should remember that they are in Parliament to represent their constituents, not to pursue second jobs. Companies can employ sitting MPs as a way of buying access and influence, which is why many members of the public are rightly sceptical of the practice.

“MPs can follow a simple rule to make sure their dealings are above board: if they take a paid second job, it should be because it helps them become a more effective MP and improves the work they do for their constituents. A job in the House of Commons should not be work experience for a corporate career.”

Neither Mr Smith nor Ryse Hydrogen responded to the Stray Ferret’s request for a comment on his appointment.