Kirsty Williams hosts Bell Pottinger dinner for access

we don't have anything like the resources that Bell Pottinger for Metrix has Lib Dems and cash for access and St Athan Metrix PFI military training college. The Welsh Lib-Dems first supported this PFI project on the narrow grounds of "jobs" in Wales, but now Kirsty Williams is hosting a dinner at the Lib-Dem conference next week for Metrix to give this private company access to the Ministers, Dennis Anderson and Nick Harvey.
probable attendees at the Lib-Dem dinner on 19th Sept.
# Danny Alexander MP and Julia Goldsworthy (Special Adv)
# Nick Harvey MP
# Jenny Willott MP for Cardiff Central
# James McGrory and Polly MacKenzie (No. 10 Policy Unit)
# Chris Saunders (Special Advisor to Nick Clegg)

The two Ministers are engaged in the review of this £14 billion project, so dining with Metrix should surely be out.There’s every reason to avoid a 30-year long PFI. This one has inflated £3billion (up from £14 billion) in price during negotiation and shrunk in size from 6000 to 2700 trainee places. It’s clearly a case for fundamental review against alternative integration of training on existing MoD bases (the PCS union says it could be accommodated on two bases, or even one if the Defence Review cuts standing forces by 20 or 25%). Nick Harvey’s answer in the Commons 5th July “to change course now would undo a great deal of investment… and add considerably to the final cost” sounded like Metrix’s case and gives no confidence of a genuine review.

Private Eye piece disclosing the lobbying campaign targeted at Welsh Lib-Dems as a route through to the Defence Minister - which appears to have succeeded.