Ex-Timms special adviser lands top Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales role
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) has completed its search for a new head of public affairs, having recruited a former special adviser to ex-Labour financial secretary Stephen Timms.
Graham Dale, who has already started in the role, replaces Jonathan Labrey, who switched to the Financial Reporting Council (PAN, May).
Dale is a long-standing ally of Timms, having first worked for him in Parliament 10 years ago, before moving to become director of the Christian Socialist Movement, where he wrote a book, God’s Politicians, with a foreword by Tony Blair. Dale then went to World Vision UK as head of policy and public affairs before becoming Timms’ special adviser in August 2007.
Dale supported Timms first as minister for competitiveness at BERR (now BIS), then at the DWP as employment minister, and finally to the Treasury at the height of the banking crisis in October 2008 where Timms was financial secretary.
Dale, who reports to comms director Harry McAdoo, is aiming to ensure “the skills and leadership of the profession are understood and utilised by government” in helping the recovery from recession.
He said: “My time in government showed me the strategic contribution Institute members make in areas such as tax, audit and business confidence. I want to strengthen and deepen those contributions in a way that supports the government and the profession’s mutual interests and which contributes to the public good.”
Since working on the election campaign, Dale – a parliamentary candidate for Labour in the 2001 general election – told PAN he had “bought a puppy, looked after my kids and ran a marathon”.
30th July 2010 by Ian Hall
