Blair took cash from 'animal testing' advocate - now peer in defence procurement

It's not often that Blair signs a petition. In fact, Blair has taken cash and rewarded the donor with a peerage more often than he has signed petitions.

It's indicative of the state of British politics vis-a-vis corruption that the first thing any sensible person does when hearing about the PM 'making a stand' of this sort is to have a quick google and look for some kind of money trail. Didn't take long ...no doubt the tip of the iceberg.

Pharmaceutical boss Paul Drayson became a Labour Party donor [£100k] whilst successfully bidding for [non-competitive] government contracts - he got a peerage and within weeks bunged them another £500K- now he is Minister for Defence Procurement - Lord Paul Drayson

Drayson backs animal testing:

Guardian: Saturday January 19, 2002

[excerpt]
Paul Drayson, chairman and chief executive, Powderject Pharmaceuticals**

"One of few drugs bosses willing to speak openly in favor of animal testing"
Drayson is happier talking about wider biotechnology issues - as chairman of the BioIndustry Association, he is the industry's mouthpiece. Most notably, he is one of few drugs bosses willing to speak openly in favour of animal testing.
"It is important for the biotech industry to be vocal on this," he says. "We don't like doing it and if there was an alternative, we wouldn't be doing it. It is for the general public to decide whether they want new medicines - it boils down to that. There are going to be people who disagree with all manner of things we do. But where people use violence and intimidation to make their point, society starts to break down." Link

Michael White, political editor
Wednesday August 25, 2004
The Guardian

Paul Drayson, the biotechnology entrepreneur who gave the Labour party £100,000 while successfully bidding for a lucrative government vaccine contract, also gave it another £500,000 within six weeks of being made a life peer, the Electoral Commission revealed yesterday. Link

scotsman: Three years ago, Scotland on Sunday revealed that Paul Drayson's company Powderject won a government vaccines contract after he had donated £50,000 to Labour. He subsequently won a huge smallpox vaccine contract and was eventually made a Labour peer following further donations, although there is no suggestion of any corruption in his activities***. Link

***Def Brain will say it for you - the above practices are corrupt [please sue-we need those hits-email address in sidebar]

Pharma Merrygoround:
[**"Powderjet was aquired by Chiron in 2003: As a biotech company, Chiron emphasized a diversified strategy covering three areas: biopharmaceuticals, blood testing and vaccines. The vaccine business got an initial boost with the 2003 acquisition of PowderJect Pharmaceuticals and its Fluvirin flu vaccine, but then suffered a setback with the 2004-05 Fluvirin production fiasco".]

[**Chiron was off loaded in April this year to Novartis AG:"Shareholders of Emeryville-based Chiron Corp. (CHIR) approved Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG's $5.4 billion offer to buy the last of the biotechnology company that it doesn't already own. The deal is expected to close Thursday".]