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While we know about Winder, Hardy and Saxon-Tate as directors of CAPRim, I think I have discovered a more important player - Dame Stella Rimington, Director-General of the Security Service (MI5/MI6) from 1992-96, and now a director of Marks & Spencer.
On 17 February 1999, Rimington delivered a lecture on "Managing Secrecy" to would-be civil servants at St. Hilda's college Oxford. She was introduced as having been an "archivist in Worcester" and referred a lot to the European Court of Human Rights as having given MI5 permission to intrude in certain aspects of people's lives, if there were threats to national security.
After the lecture, I asked CAPRimington what the implication would be for CAPRiM, given the tens of thousands of people affected by black-listing system and prevented from finding work. Her reply was vague, "I can't say..." etc., but... the important thing si: SHE DIDN'T DENY A SINGLE WORD OF MY ALLEGATION!
The House of Commons Library contains many press clippings about the Economic League/Caprim. The government is well aware of the black-listing phenomenon, so perhaps it is time to confront the prime-minister and those around him with the facts and demand that CAPRiM files be released. My own hope is that the information held on us is so inaccurate, misleading and outdated that we would be allowed to sue CAPRiM for our lost jobs, pensions and, of course, the terrible distress we have been caused; for me, over ten years of unemployment and homelessness.
Some people think its okay to make money by vetting employees who have left-wing or environmental political persuasions. Any trusted business that wants to ensure that they are not about to interview an 'activist' or anyone who has successfully organised employee solidarity can vet names with Caprim. The company keeps data on individuals with left-wing sympathies, particularly if they have worked in a sensitive job such as in large-scale manufacturing industry, politics, the military or the media. Their activities are politically sensitive so they operate under a shroud of secrecy; they will not do business with casual callers. Their stock-in-trade is political personnel files for the business world.
After a number of articles exposing vetting at The Economic League in The
Guardian newspaper, on April 23rd 1993 they published a report that the
Economic League had been closed down. But there was no mention of what happened
to its tens of thousands of files. Well we can guess... two months later
Caprim was formed.
Two former members of staff of The Economic League, Jack Winder and Stan
Hardy, started Caprim. Their stated activities are: corporate political risk
management, corporate asset protection risk management and corporate personnel
risk management.
The former Economic League and the present Caprim Ltd. maintain that they
do not keep any personal data on computer for the administration of commercial
vetting procedures. But they have admitted they do carry out vetting so one
can only assume that any personal records they hold are held on some kind
of paper filing or card index system.
Whilst CAPRiM continue to keep their activities as secret as possible they criticise other groups, such as Corporate Watch, that compile public information about directors of unethical businesses.
Detailing Caprim's involvement with the management in Burnsalls strike. Labour Research magazine. Available from The Labour Research Department, 78 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8HF. Telephone 0171 928 3649.
Mind you, Labour Research seems to have been 'got-at' and doesn't seem to be anywhere near as good as it used to be. They even requested that I deny they had any information on the subject!
Living Marxism, Alternative Green, Ethical Consumer, Earth First!, Multinational Monitor, Militant, Morning Star, Trade Union News, New Internationalist, Engineering Gazette, Labour Research Department Fact Service.
The Mastheads [above] overleaf represent a cross-section of organisations which seek to weaken a company's ability to manage its affairs profitably. While some are idealistic, many are inherently opposed to free enterprise. They all threaten a company's independence. Companies need to know what these organisations are saying and planning. CAPRiM provides this information. And assesses the strength of the threat. And advises on appropriate action. That is one of the ways in which we help you to:-
CAPRiM helps its clients by checking the bona fides of anyone a company is concerned about, whether external or members of staff. A simple CV check is often sufficient - and economical.
Hardy, Stanley McIlheron, DOB 17/9/44
26 Hempland Lane, Heworth, York, North Yorkshire YO3 0AX
Winder, Jack, DOB 30/7/34 [Chairman and Joint Managing Director]
31 Throckmorton Road, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6QB.
Saxon Tate, Sir Henry, DOB 28/11/31
26 Cleaver Square, London SE11 4EA
and Registered Office address
Registered in England no. 2792569
There is another organisation called Caprim which the Redditch lot should not be confused with:
Centro Argentino de Primates
CAPRIM,
Casilla de Correo 145
3400 Corrientes
Argentina
They are an Argentinian organisation who publish research information on monkeys!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/EMU/Story/0,2763,366293,00.html
Saturday September 9, 2000
The Guardian
One of Business for Sterling's campaigners against the euro formerly headed the extreme rightwing Economic League, it was revealed yesterday. Stan Hardy was director general of the league, which kept files on more than 22,000 blacklisted "subversives" before it was wound up in 1994.
Now Yorkshire and Humberside regional chairman of Business for Sterling, Mr Hardy was one of 337 people heading the "Euro No" campaign launched this week jointly by Business for Sterling and the New Europe campaign of Lord Owen. They say they are for Europe but against the single currency.
Mr Hardy is also Yorkshire director of the Institute of Directors, and until last year through his family firm, Caprim Ltd, continued to alert businesses to individuals and organisations he claimed were opposed to private enterprise.
The Economic League was set up in 1919 to fight Bolshevism and intervened in industrial relations until wound up in 1994 after complaints of it holding inaccurate information on individuals; under data law it would have had to open its files. It had 40 current Labour MPs on its files, including the chancellor, Gordon Brown, and prominent trade unionists, as well as journalists and thousands of shopfloor workers.
Through Caprim, Mr Hardy continued warning firms of those he believed could "weaken a company's ability to manage its affairs profitably". He condemned the Ethical Investment Research Service for "busybodyness" in drawing investors' attention to whether firms supplied services to the defence ministry, or whether furniture firms used tropical hardwoods. His monitor warned: "Companies need to be warned what these organisations are saying and planning. Caprim provides this information. And assesses the strength of the threat. And advises on appropriate action."
Last year, when Mr Hardy joined the institute, he was asked to divest himself of his company interests to avoid any "conflict of interest". He no longer has any personal involvement in the firm. A Business for Sterling spokesman said: "We are not aware of [Mr Hardy's past]. We do not think this has anything to do with the campaign against the euro." The Guardian tried to contact Mr Hardy but he was not available for comment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/EMU/Story/0,2763,366293,00.html