Robin Squire has resigned from the National Lottery commission, and
will stand down from the board of lobbying firm Advocacy in time to
fight the next general election for the Conservatives.
Squire has been one of five Lottery commissioners since the commission
structure was established in April. He has been a director of Advocacy
since 1997, after he lost the Essex seat of Hornchurch to Labour.
He has been reselected by the Conservative association to fight
Hornchurch at the next election, widely tipped to be in spring 2001.
Squire held Hornchurch for 18 years from 1979. He served as minister for
local government and the inner cities, and for schools in John Major’s
government.
’I will be standing down from Advocacy because being a director of a
public affairs firm and an elected member of parliament are, in my
opinion, incompatible. There’s a possible conflict of interest’ he
said.
When selected for Hornchurch late last month, Squire tried but failed to
combine his three roles, resigning from the lottery commission to allow
more time for Advocacy and political campaigning.
