TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Open RAN
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • 5G
  • Access Evolution
  • Private Networks
  • Cloud Native
  • Edge
  • Open Networking
  • Sustainability
  • AI, Analytics and Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • 5G
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Access Evolution
  • AI, Analytics and Automation
  • Cloud Native
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Edge
  • Open Networking
  • Open RAN
  • Private Networks
  • Security
  • Sustainability
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

News

News

Talent: It sticks out half a mile as BT CEO is made a peer

Jun 20, 2013

Mr. Livingston, for so he remains until September when he leaves BT and is inducted into the second chamber of the British Parliament and we all have to learn to call him "Lord Livingston" of wherever it is he will name himself after (Martlesham Heath perhaps?), is to become Trade and Investment Minister in the coalition government.

Mr. Livingston (48) has been appointed by the Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, and will take the Conservative whip. Well, at least we now officially know his political bent - as if we hadn't already guessed. Mr. Livingston, a multi-millionaire, has been a trenchant and vocal supporter of the government's apparently endless and increasingly discredited austerity programme. He also cut a few jobs at BT.

Mr. Livingston's new job is described as "important" and in terms of hierarchy the role is one level below Cabinet rank.

Livingston will parachute straight into the front-bench job without all the inconvenience and nonsense of having to be interviewed by various constituency committees, selected and approved as a candidate and then having to stand for election as a member of Parliament. After all, if he did that, the electorate might reject him. Ah, the Mother of Parliaments. Isn't democracy wonderful?

That said, this government has 23 months to run (at the most) before a General Election is held and then things really will be in the hands of the voters. It'll be interesting to see if he'll still be a minister after May 2015. He'll still be a lord though - until he pops his clogs - that's the way the system works.

In a statement, Livingston said his decision to leave BT was hard and it will be "real wrench" to go. He added, "My initial reaction was that BT is at a really exciting time. But when the prime minister asks you to do something for the country it’s difficult to say no."

Mr. Livingston will not be paid a salary or stipend for his new job but he will, of course, be allowed, to claim expenses. He will leave BT with a golden goodbye worth some ten million pounds and more. His annual pay is £2.4 million and his target-based share incentive scheme is worth £7.8 million. He already owns £7.5 million in BT shares and has earned £16 million over the past two years.

BT's next CEO will be Gavin Patterson, current head of the telco's Retail division. Mr. Patterson is the moving force behind BT's plan to go-head-to head with BSkyB by offering three new and competitive TV sports channels.

In a valedictory paean the BT chairman, Sir Mike Rake said of mr. Livingston, "Ian has done a tremendous job in transforming BT. His decision to accept a Government post demonstrates the sense of public service which many of us know to be characteristic."

Related Topics
  • Analysis & Opinion,
  • News

More Like This

Access Evolution

What’s up with… Inmarsat & Viasat, BT, human augmentation

Aug 10, 2022

5G

Türk Telekom and KT unite for 5G R&D and content push

Aug 10, 2022

Access Evolution

Head of China’s homegrown microprocessor industry fund arrested in fraud scandal

Aug 9, 2022

Access Evolution

What’s up with… FCC, Spirent, HPE and VMware

Aug 9, 2022

5G

Eyes on the prize: BT pioneers four-carrier aggregation on a 5G standalone network

Aug 9, 2022

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

0:46

The Cloud Native Telco Summit returns this September!

8:32

Azita Arvani on Being a Female Leader at Rakuten Symphony

16:19

AT&T Amy Zwarico on securing telco applications in the public cloud

1:44

Join us for the greatest industry debate of the year!

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2022. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).