Chapter 1

Shortly after the ascendancy of New Labour in May 1997, a group of ten high-ranking civil servants - including may father - formed what would later be dubbed, and for the purposes of this account, will be referred to as 'The Inner Cadre'. These seven men and three women had the following in common:

Firstly, they were all born and resident in Southern England. Secondly, they all rose to eminence during the Fielder Era, and were staunch admirers of 'The Corn Dolly'. Thirdly, each member had acquired, through methods fair and foul, enormous wealth which, until 2009, was effectively concealed from any potential investigators.

Some of this money was used to finance a vast network of agents - many ex-service personnel - which was organised into two companies: Sander's International Investigations Ltd. and Life-Line Security Corporation.

These firms were not only legitimate businesses - at least on the surface - but also provided cover for a global intelligence-gathering operation. Consequently, The Inner Cadre, despite links with MI5 and MI6, were far better informed on the major issues affecting government policy than any other senior civil servants.

They were fearful of New Labour's plans for UK devolution and constitutional reform, greater European integration, a more "ethical" foreign policy (which would have financial repercussions for each member) plus an altogether more open and accountable government. In fact, it was true to say that The Inner Cadre found New Labour's 1997 election manifesto totally abhorrent and, at the group's initial weekend conference of 17th/18th May - two and a half weeks after the Conservative Party's rout - the decision was made to commence an undeclared war on the new administration.

Initially, the action taken would be minor obfuscation, procrastination and, where the opportunities arose due to the new administration's inexperience of governing, exposing and exploiting ministerial uncertainty - especially at junior level - by imparting disinformation verbally. Once the errors had resulted in the desired humiliation of the hapless MP, the civil servant would produce true information in writing, appropriately back-dated. However, it was in 2002 when The Inner Cadre achieved its first tour-de-force: the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament ...

A glance at the names and positions of The Inner Cadre's membership list should make it clear to the reader how they could wield such monstrous power and enjoy, at least for a considerable time, total unaccountability. The list is as follows:

The Inner Cadre
Sir Jonothan Doggett KVO, MC Permanent Under-Secretary to Sir Hugh Catering, Foreign Secretary.

Sir Anthony Sharpe, KCMG, DFC Permanent Under-Secretary to Graham Hartley, Secretary of State for Defence.

Miss Sarah Frances Arbuthnot, PhD, MA, BSc, GC Specialist Consultant on Intelligence, Counter-Intelligence and Communications. Former deputy Director of MI5 from 1993 to 1996. Since 1998, Adviser on security matters to ...

... Sir Roland Dundervale, PhD, MA, FIMgt Permanent Under-Secretary to Tom Spooner, Home Secretary.

Sir Donald Vale, KVO, DSO, MSc Deputy Permanent Under-Secretary to Sir Hugh Catering, Foreign Secretary, and Director of the Joint Intelligence Committee. He resigned from the JIC in 2006.

Lady Harriet Maxwell-Duncan, MA, BSc, MIMgt Permanent Under-Secretary to Drew Davidson, Secretary of State for Scotland/ First Minister for Scotland 1999-2002. From 2003 until 2008, Lady Maxwell-Duncan held the posts of Financial Adviser, then Senior Financial Consultant to Jeremy Banks, First Secretary to the Treasury. She replaced Paul Phillips at the Department of Trade and Industry in June 2008.

Paul Phillips MSc, FIMgt Senior Financial Adviser to Melanie Belstone, President of the Board of Trade and Deputy director of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Dismissed from office in June 2008.

Vernon Forrester, CBE, MA, BSc, FIMgt Principal Advisor on Intelligence, Counter-Intelligence and Communications to Field Marshal Sir Hugh Graves, Chief of the defence Staff. Formerly Head of Western Europe Operations Desk, MI6.

Mrs Suzanne Turner, OBE, BA, PhD, FIMgt Principal Advisor on The Media and Public Relations to Sir Roland Dundervale (Permanent Under-Secretary to Tom Spooner, The Home Office)

Dr. Graham Allinson, CBE, MD, FRCP, FRCS Chief Medical Consultant to the Ministry of Defence with a specialist knowledge of Tropical Diseases and Toxins. Prior to his appointment in 1997, Dr. Allinson was Senior Consultant in Toxicology at the Military Chemical and Biological Research Centre, Porton Down.

The Inner Cadre
	Sir Jonothan Doggett KVO, MC	Permanent Under-Secretary to Sir Hugh Catering, Foreign Secretary.
	Sir Anthony Sharpe, KCMG, DFC	Permanent Under-Secretary to Graham Hartley, Secretary of State for Defence.
	Miss Sarah Frances Arbuthnot, PhD, MA, BSc, GC	Specialist Consultant on Intelligence, Counter-Intelligence and Communications. Former deputy Director of MI5 from 1993 to 1996. Since 1998, Adviser on security matters to ...
	... Sir Roland Dundervale, PhD, MA, FIMgt	Permanent Under-Secretary to Tom Spooner, Home Secretary.
	Sir Donald Vale, KVO, DSO, MSc	Deputy Permanent Under-Secretary to Sir Hugh Catering, Foreign Secretary, and Director of the Joint Intelligence Committee. He resigned from the JIC in 2006.
	Lady Harriet Maxwell-Duncan, MA, BSc, MIMgt	Permanent Under-Secretary to Drew Davidson, Secretary of State for Scotland/ First Minister for Scotland 1999-2002. From 2003 until 2008, Lady Maxwell-Duncan held the posts of Financial Adviser, then Senior Financial Consultant to Jeremy Banks, First Secretary to the Treasury. She replaced Paul Phillips at the Department of Trade and Industry in June 2008.
	Paul Phillips MSc, FIMgt	Senior Financial Adviser to Melanie Belstone, President of the Board of Trade and Deputy director of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Dismissed from office in June 2008.
	Vernon Forrester, CBE, MA, BSc, FIMgt	Principal Advisor on Intelligence, Counter-Intelligence and Communications to Field Marshal Sir Hugh Graves, Chief of the defence Staff. Formerly Head of Western Europe Operations Desk, MI6.
	Mrs Suzanne Turner, OBE, BA, PhD, FIMgt	Principal Advisor on The Media and Public Relations to Sir Roland Dundervale (Permanent Under-Secretary to Tom Spooner, The Home Office)
	Dr. Graham Allinson, CBE, MD, FRCP, FRCS	Chief Medical Consultant to the Ministry of Defence with a specialist knowledge of Tropical Diseases and Toxins. Prior to his appointment in 1997, Dr. Allinson was Senior Consultant in Toxicology at the Military Chemical and Biological Research Centre, Porton Down.

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