back to article Former Facebook lobbyist joins UK comms regulator as non-exec director

A former Vice President of Public Policy for Facebook is among the new faces to join the board at Britain's telecoms regulator, Ofcom. Lord Richard Allan was selected by Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to become non-executive director for a four-year period on November 1, the Department …

  1. Tubz Silver badge
    Trollface

    Liebours reward for a dodgy donation from Meta?

  2. G40
    Thumb Down

    Ah, regulators

    Get to shape and steer the most fundamentally important sectors of the UK economy without any input, or representation or oversight from the voter/ taxpayer. And what a fine job they do as well. Bravo.

    1. Snake Silver badge
      Holmes

      Re: Ah, regulators

      Here in the U.S. we even have a technical descriptor for it because it seems so common: regulatory capture, as promulgated by American economist Stigler.

      Because basic American cronyism just wasn't enough.

  3. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    "we're not sure we are entirely comfortable"

    You shouldn't be.

    Wolf garding the sheep pen comes to mind.

    But I'm sure that this has been decided in the best tradition of UK Government, aka somebody had a friend in need.

    So all is well, right ?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well I am sure that

    Zuckerberg will think that he is the "bees knees" for the job!!

  5. Paul Herber Silver badge
    Pint

    Committee meeting ...

    Chair: Any conflicts of interest?

    Everyone: <raises hand>

    Chair: Jolly good. Next item ... expenses ...

  6. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Devil

    From the 'you couldn't make it up' dept.

    This will bear extremely close watching.

  7. Howard Sway Silver badge

    "This appointment was made following an open process in line with the Governance Code"

    What does the governance code say though? Appointments should be made by casting your eyes around the House of Lords to find the right sort of chap for the job, one who knows all the other chaps he's regulating and won't cause any kind of fuss?

    And however open the process may be, I would imagine there are better telecommunications regulators than a non-exec director of a shop that makes its money selling bras and jumpers.

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: "This appointment was made following an open process in line with the Governance Code"

      "a shop that makes its money selling bras and jumpers"

      AFAICS M&S avoids selling clothing as much as it can. These days it just wants to be another grocery business.

    2. Rosie Davies

      Re: "This appointment was made following an open process in line with the Governance Code"

      You'll find it here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80f0fced915d74e33fd44d/Ofcom_Framework_Document_23_June_2016_signed.pdf. Section 5 would seem to be the bit that applies and it (to say the least) a bit spartan on detail.

      Rosie

  8. andy gibson

    Labour have got it all wrong! You're supposed to grant favours for GETTING money from a company, not spending it there!

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-social-media-campaigns-cost-b2563996.html

  9. Fazal Majid

    Sometimes former poachers make the best gamekeepers. Tom Wheeler proved remarkably tough on telcos as chairman of the FCC despite having ya Verizon lobbyist.

    In any case, a former Facebook guy is unlikely to be sympathetic to telco rent-seeking. His Cisco past would be more relevant as to conflicts of interest.

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Social [sic] media come under OFCOM's wing.

  10. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    I was sort of expecting Nick. But I suppose he'll agree with him.

    1. cyberdemon Silver badge
      Devil

      According to the article, he was at Facebook long before Nick Clegg was, and was also a Lib Dem MP before Nick Clegg was. (based on his wikipedia page)

      So he could even have been the one who tempted Sir Cleggy to the dark side..

  11. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge

    Sounds a typical

    appointment to these sorts of jobs,

    After all with these high profile jobs, you dont want the likes of some spotty oink from cheap university to get it, or maybe a two bit reporter from a highly read tech reporting website.

    No, lets hand to Lord horsey who went to the right school, played cricket for the right team, and is generally a good egg who wont make waves.

    Strangely, you'll find lots of these sorts of people in all the top quangos, who either arrive via the revolving door from 'industry' or happen to have gone to the same school/university as the people making the recruiting decision. the fact that they're utterly useless in the position makes no difference as they'll be moved to another quango/comittee/inquiry before 2 years is up.

    This sort of chap:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Powell,_Baron_Powell_of_Bayswater

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