Firm hires mandarin who spent thousands on visits
THE Government’s top technology advisor, who has taken a job at Amazon, spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money jetting across the Atlantic to meet executives at the company.
Liam Maxwell has flown to the US five times in the past two years to meet bosses at the tech giant, along with other firms, or speak at its events.
The visits included trips to Washington DC, Las Vegas and Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, racking up more than £16,700 in costs.
Mr Maxwell who is paid up to £162,000 as the national technology advisor, has since accepted a job at Amazon’s web services arm.
The 50-year-old has also frequently tweeted about Amazon using his personal Twitter account. In the past two years he has either commented himself, or retweeted messages in support of the web giant 20 times.
His Amazon appointment has sparked concern among MPs and transparency campaigners, because Mr Maxwell helped draw up an IT spending regime in Whitehall that has seen contracts worth tens of millions of pounds handed to the firm.
It is understood Mr Maxwell has not yet resigned from his current Government post but is expected to leave soon. Critics last night said the trips to
the US raised fresh questions about Mr Maxwell’s relationship with Amazon.
And Vince Cable, former business secretary and leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: ‘I do think he has woken up to the public anger around the way Amazon has been taking the Government for a ride.’
Yesterday the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments – which senior civil servants must get permission from to take private sector jobs – said Mr Maxwell’s new role would be screened by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The DCMS would not confirm his departure.
A spokesman said: ‘He engages with national and international companies and governments to promote the UK.’
He has also tweeted other companies. Mr Maxwell also visited other companies and organisations. For instance, in February 2016 he met with several Israeli tech firms on a visit costing £1,030.
And he held meetings with tech companies Microsoft, Google and Samsung in September 2017. He praised Microsoft boss Satya Nadella as well on May 22, saying he was ‘always fascinating’.