'Ex-Labour ministers ideal for ABI'
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Former Labour ministers such as John Hutton, James Purnell and Charles Clarke are ideal candidates to take over as director general of the Association of British Insurers, according to Lansons.
Kerrie Kelly left the position last week after just six months in the job. The ABI says Kelly is returning to Australia for personal reasons but the Financial Times claimed that Kelly was pushed out by the ABI board.
Director of life and savings Maggie Craig is serving as acting director general until a replacement is found.
Lansons Public Affairs and Regulatory Consulting director Richard Hobbs says Labour politicians with significant Department for Work & Pensions experience such as former Work and Pensions Secretaries John Hutton and James Purnell are “obvious candidates”.
Hobbs says former Home Secretary Charles Clarke has a good understanding of the insurance industry through his constituency work.
Hobbs says: “When the ABI hired Kerry Kelly, they wanted someone with strong contacts in Whitehall, which she did not have because she had just arrived from Australia, so her appointment was slightly compromised in the first place. If a Westminster address book is considered an attribute by the ABI, then a retiring heavyweight politician would be an obvious candidate. The fact that most candidates would be Labour politicians does not really matter.”
Hobbs doubts that Craig will be permanently appointed. He says: “Internal candidates are never successful at the ABI.”
Syndaxi Chartered Financial Planning managing director Rob Reid says: “There is a good chance we will end up with a civil servant but it would be nice to have someone who understands what our industry does.”
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