Mark Stephen Fullbrook (born June 1962)[1] is a British political strategist and lobbyist who was Downing Street Chief of Staff from September to October 2022.
Mark Fullbrook | |
|---|---|
| Downing Street Chief of Staff | |
| In office 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Liz Truss |
| Deputy | Ruth Porter |
| Preceded by | Steve Barclay |
| Succeeded by | Liam Booth-Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 1962 (age 62) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Lorraine Fullbrook |
| Education | University of Warwick |
Early life and education
editFullbrook was born in June 1962.[1] He read management science at the University of Warwick.[2]
Career
editBetween January 1988 and December 1992, Fullbrook was the Deputy Head of Campaigning for the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher and John Major before working as the Head of Campaigning.[2]
Fullbrook was a partner and the chief global projects officer of the C/T Group from May 2010 to May 2022 alongside Lynton Crosby, a long-time partner of Fullbrook. He established and briefly was CEO of his own consultancy firm, Fullbrook Strategies Limited, between May and September 2022, which advised Liz Truss during her ultimately successful Conservative Party leadership campaign. The company ceased commercial trading several days before Fullbrook's appointment to Downing Street.[3]
In his role, Fullbrook had advised former speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, as well as David Trimble and Boris Johnson between June and July 2019 for his successful Conservative Party leadership campaign.[citation needed]
He has also advised the Libyan house of representatives and the Sante Group, which was awarded a £680 million PPE grant during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[4]
He has been interviewed by FBI agents about an alleged criminal plot to bribe the former governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vázquez Garced, on behalf of Julio Herrera Velutini, a Venezuelan banker.[5]
Downing Street Chief of Staff
editFullbrook was appointed Downing Street Chief of Staff from September to October 2022, under Liz Truss.[3] The Cabinet Office informed the public that Fullbrook's service for the Prime Minister would be paid through his lobbying company in a highly unusual arrangement that could allow him to pay less tax.[6]
In October 2022 it was reported in the Guardian newspaper that Fullbrook continued to hold a 10% stake in the lobbying business CT Group. In the past clients of CT Group have included Philip Morris (a tobacco company), Glencore (a mining company) and the Saudi Arabian government. The potential conflict of interest had not been publicly disclosed since Fullbrook joined Downing Street as Liz Truss's chief of staff. Fullbrook left CT Group earlier in 2022. During Fullbrook's time as a director of CT Group the company ran a Worldwide campaign to promote the burning of coal on behalf of mining company Glencore. The Saudi Arabian government paid CT Group millions of pounds for work in the UK. Russian oligarchs keen to improve their reputations in the west were also clients of CT Group during Fullbrook's tenure there.[7]
Fullbrook left office as Downing Street chief of staff after Truss' resignation as prime minister, making him the shortest-serving chief of staff. He was succeeded by Liam Booth-Smith.[8]
Personal life
editFullbrook lives in Winchfield.[2] He is married to Lorraine Fullbrook, a former Conservative MP, who was made a life peer by Boris Johnson in 2020.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Mark Stephen FULLBROOK personal appointments – Find and update company information – GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
- ^ a b c "Mark Fulbrook Linkedin". Linkedin. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ a b Mason, Rowena (6 September 2022). "Mark Fullbrook named chief of staff as Truss selects inner circle". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ "Mark Fullbrook". Mace. Mace Magazine. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ Pogrund, Gabriel (18 September 2022). "No 10 chief of staff in FBI inquiry over 'election bribe' in Puerto Rico". The Times. London. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Pogrund, Gabriel (24 September 2022). "Liz Truss chief of staff Mark Fullbrook is paid through his lobbying company". The Sunday Times. London.
- ^ Waterson, Jim Waterson (19 October 2022). "Liz Truss's chief of staff still owns 10% of Lynton Crosby's lobbying firm". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
- ^ Payne, Sebastian (25 October 2022). "Who's who in Team Sunak – new PM's core aides". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ Dyer, Henry (21 November 2022). "Lobbyist and ex-Liz Truss aide Mark Fullbrook has parliamentary pass". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2022.