Chairman's Statement
Rt Hon Lord Falconer of Thoroton
In the three months I have been Chairman of the John Smith Trust I have seen the strength and the value of the work the Trust does demonstrated again, and again.
Watching former Fellows from Georgia, one of them now the mayor of Tbilisi, debating the merits of the declaration of the state of emergency in that country, at the Trust’s Networking Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia. Discussing with Fellows from Armenia, and Azerbaijan relations between their two countries, at the welcome dinner in Edinburgh. Discussing with the Fellow from Chechnya the balance between human rights and strong government in his home country. Listening to the Fellows discuss with a Scottish High Court Judge the relationship between the judges and the executive.
The Networking Conference in Tbilisi demonstrated the strength of the Fellowship network, and the extent to which the Fellowship Programme had influenced Fellows’ thinking. The events in the UK which I attended during the 2008 Fellowship Programme demonstrated the richness and the variety of experiences which the programme offers. And the extent to which the Fellows are prepared to approach their experiences with an open mind and to challenge what they hear.
We in the Trust are profoundly grateful for the speakers who come to speak during the course of the Fellowship Programme, in particular at the Weekend retreat, at the Defence Academy, at the events in Edinburgh and at the events in London. They do so free, and they do so without stinting on enthusiasm or quality. The Fellows response is testament to their quality.
The attachments programme, which is organised by Emily Carr allows the Fellows to spend a fortnight attached to British organisations, reflecting their interests. Those attachments have provided experience of the UK which are profound and demonstrate the extent to which the principles for which the Trust stands – democracy, human rights, social justice – are applied in practice. The hosts provide the attachments free. They are uniformly committed to allowing the Fellows a real opportunity to see their organisations working. The Fellows benefit from these attachments almost more than any other part of the Fellowship. The Trust is very grateful to the hosts for what they do.
The quality both of the Fellows, and the Fellowship Programme is high. Its strength is demonstrated by the consistently favourable views of the network of UK diplomats I met in the course of those three months, the strong endorsement of EU officials, and the support from the private sector for what the Trust is doing. George has left the Trust in a strong position with the Fellowship Programme at its heart.
Brian Brivati has been the Director of the Trust for under a year. He took over from Emma MacLennan who, as George writes, built the Fellowship Programme from its early beginnings. Brian has established himself very quickly as a real leader. He has the confidence of the Trustees and the other staff. And he has provided real drive to the Fellowship. He has been, right from the outset determined to secure a sound financial basis for the Trust. He has worked closely with the Ministry of Justice, whose funding has been vital to what the Trust does, and for whose continued financial and practical support we are very grateful. He has built up the network of private sector donors, who see the value of strong links between the seven Trust countries, and the UK. And he is the source of strong well-thought out ideas whose development we will see in the coming months and years.
Joanna Lamb, the Deputy Director throughout this year leaves to travel and to study. She has been the consistent strong organiser and doer for the Trust. We will miss her greatly. She has promised to stay in touch. We welcome Natalia Westcombe as her successor, as Deputy Director. Natalia was born and brought up in Russia, and comes with extensive experience international events and conferences.
Julie Utting is the third arm of the executive team. We would not have a Fellowship Programme without the work she does. Her commitment and ability have been exceptional. Moira Haslehurst who keeps our books has provided us with reliable and vital service throughout the year. Both have our profound thanks.
I join the Trust at a time of change but also a time of strength. The Trust is true to the values of John Smith. Its task is to continue to honour and promote those values through the Fellowship, and through all the work it does.
The Rt. Hon. the Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Chairman (2004-2008)
It has been a great pleasure to be Chair of the John Smith Memorial Trust for the last four years. We have developed a living memorial to a great man and each year the new group of Fellows extends our network and keeps the democratic optimism that characterised John’s politics very much alive. It has been a privilege for me to serve with my Deputy Chairmen, Sir Menzies Campbell MP and Damian Green MP and to work with the other Trustees and Advisors. They are all committed to our cross party mission.
The Trust could not operate without its hard working staff. During my tenure the Director of the Trust was Emma MacLennan. She built the Fellowship Programme from its early beginnings and has made it a unique and highly regarded international flagship of British democracy. Her team, Joanna Lamb, Julie Utting, Moira Haslehurst and Emily Carr all make an enormous personal contribution to the work of the Trust. Some of our long standing Trustees have retired this year and I pay tribute and offer thanks to them for their hard work – Ken Munro and Jimmy Gordon both made outstanding contributions over many years. I welcome our new Trustees Michael Gove MP, Richard Wallace and David Charters.
The Trust has gone through a year of change and development. Our new Director Brian Brivati has now seen us through his first Fellowship Programme and is developing new and exciting ideas for the Trust. No matter what happens in the future, I leave the role as Chair knowing that the essential qualities of our work are in safe hands and that the spirit of the Fellowship Programme will continue to be renewed each year.