As I posted about a couple of weeks ago I’d contacted my MP, (Norman Lamb, Lib/Dem, Special Political Advisor to Nick Clegg), concerned about what was going on with Atos and about Unum’s involvement with the DWP and after me first having e-mailed him several times and then attempting to see him at one of his constituency surgeries and not being able to arrange an appointment I could get to, (public transport is horrendous in North Norfolk), to speak to him face to face about it he eventually agreed to telephone me so we could discuss my concerns.
During this telephone conversation good old Norman acted totally dumb regarding any knowledge about Unum’s involvement as advisors to the DWP, (something they have been since 1994), but expressed concern at what I told him regarding their horrendous well documented history in the US with the result of this telephone conversation being that he wrote a letter to Maria Miller, (that was forwarded to me via his PA), part of it which said –
“xxxx xxxxxxxx informs me that a company called Unum Provident “has been convicted of major fraud and banned from trading in many States in the US” up until 2008. He states that this company has been advising the DWP on welfare reform since the early 1990s. He also states that the current Atos Chief Medical Officer, Mike O’Donnell, had been Chief Medical Officer of Unum from March 2000 to September 2010. Is all this true? Can you let me know exactly what the Government knows about the position relating to Unum Provident and its relationship with Atos healthcare?”
That letter is reproduced here – https://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2011/09/07/9353/
A company called Unum Provident? Doesn’t that imply that he’s never heard of them? That Unum is new to him?
Imagine my surprise and shock then considering the above to discover this morning while doing some research online about connections between Atos & Unum, particularly the relationship between Mike O’Donnell – Chief Medical Officer – Atos Healthcare and Peter O’Donnell – Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer – Unum Insurance, (brothers perhaps? Anybody know?), to find out that good old Norman last Tuesday was a guest speaker at a Unum hosted fringe meeting at the LibDem Conference speaking alongside Peter O’Donnell, the Chief Financial Officer of Unum Insurance –
Speaker/Artist(s) Info: Norman Lamb MP; Teresa Perchard, Director of Public Policy, Citizens Advice; Nick Pearce, Director, IPPR; Peter O’Donnell, Chief Financial Officer, Unum. Chair: Patrick Hennessy, Sunday Telegraph.
Time: Tuesday September 20, 2011 6:15pm – 7:30pm
Venue: Hyatt Regency: Fortissimo2 Bridge Street,BirminghamB1 2JZ
Type: LibDem → Panel
Host Organization(s): IPPR, Unum
Tags: Refreshments
See – http://my.fringelist.com/event/e44ad0ddcc22b408db9afcf114fbf19c
I’ll leave you readers to draw your own conclusions from the above but it stinks to high heaven to me with me personally no longer having any faith or trust, not only in my elected representative but democracy as presented in the UK too – what do you all think?
Truth is stranger than fiction. The man has questions to answer!
woooah!! that’s shocking
My partner said you should contact Private Eye with that information! 🙂
Talk about “something rotten in the State of Denmark”! Don’t know why it always comes as a shock – it shouldn’t do by now!
you are so right
My father always said “Liars should have good memories”. Their day of reckoning will come, and they cannot go down the pathetic route of claiming ignorance as their excuse. Anyone good on computers should link Normans name to the above revelation.
Gets worse by the day. Trouble is, I think, Unum have been embedding themselves into government for so long now that they are almost considered part of it, they have become *the* authority that the DWP rely on when it comes to ‘occupational health’/disability.
Am waiting to see what the BBC have to say to this FOI:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/bbc_reports_on_unum#outgoing-150531
Let’s hope the beeb are not also “all in it together”.
Depends how much respect you have for Norman Lamb who gives the impression he didn’t want to speak to you, or do anything for you in the first place.
Given the above, I would be WRITING by recorded delivery to……..
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/pcfs/contact-us/
http://www.parliament.uk/pcs
……..and indicating my concern that my MP said he didn’t know of UNUM, when he did know of them as he was giving speeches/
You can sometimes get away with naughty things in of the House of Commons – that of course is called Parliamentary Privelege.
However what is explained above is conduct of an MP that would appear to merit an investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
Though maybe just hold off to see if he does do his job, and Maria Miller does reply with something other than the stale canned reply we have come to expect from politicians.
Best regards,
Calum.
dis·in·gen·u·ous/ˌdisinˈjenyo͞oəs/
Adjective: Not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.
If he is lying, he is doing it with the same level of sophistication as a very small child who is unable to put all the pieces together into a scenario and fully understand that others will be able to see through this. Theory of mind and central coherence would appear to be lacking here, that is of course if he is lying….Thanks for posting this George.
Norman Lamb MP is a white wash, it is well known if you read NHS trust reports that private businesses cherry pick contract work and leave unprofitable work for nhs.
Example Dental Services are basically privatised.
Secondly while DWP are root cause of WCA and ATOS are their stoodges, Norman Lamp is keen to spin it as learning experience- if you contract UNUM AND ATOS you use them for one reason only= Benefits Denial.
Norman Lamb does not want to hear about unaccountable NHS trusts and illegal activities- only to spin his way out of things when presented with information.