FOI request: Duke of York’s trade visit to Azerbaijan

Yesterday we submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for details relating to Prince Andrew’s recent visit to Azerbaijan.  The Duke’s own website reports that the visit was made in his UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) role as  Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. While in Azerbaijan he met with the Chairman of the [...]

Prince Andrew: “I have to work – I don’t have a pension”

That is the latest outrageous claim from playboy prince the Duke of York, made in an interview given recently to “The National”, an English language magazine published in the Middle East. In the interview, given during a visit to countries which include Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, he maintains that he doesn’t [...]

Prince visits tax avoider in Gulf visit

Prince Andrew is off another taxpayer-funded trade trip, this time to one of his favourite destinations, the United Arab Emirates, including the state of Qatar.  He probably feels right at home in an absolute monarchy where a single ruling family has preeminent power and is accountable to no one. Qatar also has (depending on which [...]

Prince Andrew’s UKTI role: what’s the local view?

To: Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Submitted via online form, 14:55, 26th October. http://www.suffolkchamber.co.uk Prince Andrew, in his role as UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, has recently been interviewed by the Daily Telegraph (Saturday October 24th).  Among other comments, he maintained that: “I was brought up to do this sort of work. It [...]

Prince Andrew’s UKTI role should be on a business footing

Email to: Mervyn Davies, the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business mpst.davies@berr.gsi.gov.uk 27th October 2009 Dear Lord Davies, As I’m sure you are aware, over the last few days there has been considerable public anger at comments made by Prince Andrew in relation to his role as the UK’s Special Representative for [...]

Duke of York: public service or self-service?

The Duke of York likes to give the impression that he carries out his role as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment as some sort of charitable work, an immense duty of selfless self-sacrifice for the public good. In a recent interview reported in the Financial Times he makes the claim that: [...]

Duke prefers Far East to East Coast

The Duke of York, in the news yesterday for his outspoken support for bankers’ bonuses and tax breaks for offshore millionaires, is, it seems, more likely to have been seen in Vietnam and Thailand than in our region.  We can reveal that Prince Andrew hasn’t visited Suffolk since 2006 and has set foot in Suffolk [...]

“Airmiles Andy” reveals true allegiance

In what some are saying is the Windsor family’s “let them eat cake”  moment, an interview with the Duke of York appears in today’s Daily Telegraph in which he defends bankers’ bonuses, likely to reach £6bn this year, calling them “minute”.  He also expresses his opposition to government proposals to  close tax loopholes for Britain’s [...]