Devin Scobie

From Powerbase

Devin Scobie is a lobbyist who worked for GPC International in Edinburgh. From mid 2004 to at least the end of 2005, Scobie worked 'Director of Scotland' for the Eaga Partnership.^[1] In January 2007 it was announced that he had been appointed as the interim executive director of the Scottish Parliament Business Exchange. At that point he was described as Devin Scobie of Caledonia Consulting.^[1]

Scobie and his Caledonia Consulting colleague both sit on the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Scotch Whisky^[2]

Contents 1 Career 2 Evil Lobbyist? 2.1 Further reading 2.2 References

Career

Scobie gave the following account of his career in a presentation in 2003:^[3]

• Joined GPC in July 1999
• Former journalist and PR consultant (ten years)
• Former Edinburgh City Councillor and Parliamentary candidate
• Agent for Mike Pringle MSP (Lib Dem gain on 1 May)
• Clients include: Premier Prisons, Arriva Trains, Pfizer, Tesco, Alcan, Vodafone, 3^[2]

His other activities include standing as a Liberal Democrat candidate in Edinburgh East in the 1992 UK General Election gaining 3,432 votes (10.17%).^[4]

Evil Lobbyist?

In a Power Point presentation in December 2003, Scobie describes an alleged alternative view of him as :

An evil lobbyist who…

• Lunches for Scotland
• Tries to persuade, cajole and otherwise influence
• Stays in the shadows
• Lives in the Scottish Parliament
• Preys on unsuspecting MSPs
• Pretends we don’t exist
• And makes lots of money from poor, down-trodden clients...^[5]

Further reading

• Criticism over relaunched Holyrood business scheme By Paul Hutcheon
• Disgraced peer lands job with lobbying firm CONSULTANCY: NEW POST Sunday Herald, The, Aug 5, 2007 by Paul Hutcheon Scottish Political Editor

References

1. ↑ 'Devin Intervention' Business Diary, Sunday Herald, 28 January 2007, p17. not available online.
2. ↑ Scottish Parliament, Cross-Party Groups in the Scottish Parliament- Registration Form, no date given, accessed 5th October 2011
3. ↑ Devin Scobie, Presentation to the Scottish Further Education Unit The Scottish FE Conference, 12 December 2003.
4. ↑ Edinburgh East Liberal Democrats, ELECTIONS: General Election 1992, Edinburgh East accessed January 2007.
5. ↑ Devin Scobie, Presentation to the Scottish Further Education Unit The Scottish FE Conference, 12 December 2003.