Ian Taylor (British businessman)

==Background==
Ian Taylor is President and Chief Executive of Vitol a conglomerate of oil and energy companies which he has served for 20 yearsRambert Dance Company Board Members Ian Taylor Accessed 16th December 2008. Taylor is also reported as a donor to Tory leader David Cameron and Tory Business Secretary Alan Duncan. 
==Funding the UK Tory Party==
In 2008, Taylor is reported to have donated more that £50,000 to David Cameron, which automatically includes him as a member of Cameron's The Leader's Group where he has the opportunity to meet the Tory leader in person through meetings and eventsDispatches 'Cameron's Money Men' Channel 4 Production. 29th September 2008. 
Taylor was also reported (in 2008) as a donor to Alan Duncan, the Tory Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory ReformUK Parliament Register of Interests 2008/2009 Accessed 16th December 2008. Taylor and Duncan have a long history together since they were colleagues at Shell and remain close friends. It is claimed that millionaire Duncan 'made part of his fortune by brokering a deal between Vitol and Pakistan during the Gulf war'. Duncan's company, Harcourt Consultants, continued to do work for Vitol in Pakistan until around 1997.Barnett, A. & Bright, M. (2001) Oil chief paid $1m to warlord' The Guardian. 1st July 2001. Accessed 16th December 2008. Donations to Cabinet members from companies that have direct interests in their policy portfolios has been criticised as concealing a conflict of interest, a claim the Tories have regarded as "utter nonsense".Russell, B. (2008) Senior Shadow Cabinet figures in row over 'cash for influence' The Independent. 16th May 2008. Accessed 16th December 2008..
With effect of April 2008, Duncan is also on the Board of Arawak Energy LtdFox BusinessArawak announces appointment of Alan Duncan MP to the Board of Direcors Fox Business. 24th April 2008. Accessed 16th December 2008. which is a 41% owned subsidiary of Vitol (of which Taylor is President & CEO). In December 2008, Vitol announced its offer to buy Arawak in its entirety through Vitol subsidiary RoscoArawak Energy Arawak updates shareholders on Rosco offer process Arawak Energy News'. 15th December 2008. Accessed 16th December 2008. So Duncan, who is Shadow Business Secretary with influence on business policy, benefits financially from Vitol on 2 levels: through personal donations from the company's President & CEO (who also happens to be a close friend) and also through renumeration for his involvement on the Board of its subsidiary. It's hard to imagine how this scenario can present anything but a conflict of interests!
==Dinner at Downing Street and Chequers with the Camerons==
Taylor is recorded on the Register of Major Donors attending meals held at Official Residences as dining with David Cameron on 22 November 2013. [http://www.conservatives.com/~/media/Files/LG%20Meals%20Q4%202013%20Disclosure.ashx Register
of Major Donors attending Leader’s Group Meals 1st October to 31st December 2013], acc 4 February 2014 
*See also Powerbase page on Downing Street Dinner Guest List published by the government in March 2012
==EU referendum==
Taylor donated £150,000 to The In Campaign to help promote Britain's continued membership of the European Union in the referendum on 23 June 2016. Electoral Commission, Donor search EU referendum, accessed 13 May 2016
He also gave a smaller amount of £10,000 on 7 April 2016 to the Conservatives IN campaign, the campaign designed by David Cameron to close the fissures opened in the Tory party by the European Union referendum. Electoral Commission, Donor Search, accessed 12 May 2016
==Donations==
==Donations==
Recorded by the Electoral Commission:
Date
Name of donor
Amount
Donated to 
 
31/05/2006 
Ian R Taylor
£100,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party 
 
05/02/2008
Mr Ian R Taylor
£50,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
31/03/2009
Mr Ian Taylor
£50,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
29/05/2009
Mr Ian R Taylor
£6,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
25/03/2010
Mr Ian R Taylor
£125,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
31/12/2010
Mr Ian R Taylor
£2,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
23/03/2011
Mr Ian R Taylor
£57,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
06/04/2011
Mr Ian R Taylor
£4,600.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
09/06/2011
Mr Ian R Taylor
£2,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
30/09/2011
Mr Ian R Taylor
£2,500.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
09/12/2011
Mr Ian R Taylor
£59,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
09/03/2012
Mr Ian R Taylor
£34,225.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
09/03/2012
Mr Ian R Taylor
£1,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
21/08/2012
Mr Ian R Taylor
£50,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
20/03/2013
Mr Ian R Taylor
£3,500.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
20/03/2013
Mr Ian R Taylor
£13,327.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
17/06/2013
Mr Ian R Taylor
£850.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
17/06/2013
Mr Ian R Taylor
£50,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
30/08/2013
Mr Ian R Taylor
£58,500.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
05/11/2013
Mr Ian R Taylor
£8,600.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
29/05/2014
Mr Ian R Taylor
£12,700.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
05/06/2014
Mr Ian R Taylor
£30,000.00
Lets Stay Together
24/07/2014
Mr Ian Roper Taylor
£10,000.00
WFS2014 Ltd
17/09/2014
Mr Ian Roper Taylor
£10,000.00
WFS2014 Ltd
24/09/2014
Mr Ian R Taylor
£6,250.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
24/09/2014
Mr Ian R Taylor
£8,500.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
26/11/2014
Mr Ian R Taylor
£1,450.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
26/11/2014
Mr Ian R Taylor
£250,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
13/02/2015
Mr Ian R Taylor
£2,250.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
10/03/2015
Mr Ian R Taylor
£262,500.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
05/05/2015
Mr Ian R Taylor
£30,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
18/09/2015
Mr Ian R Taylor
£208,500.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
19/10/2015
Mr Ian R Taylor
£100,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
03/03/2016
Mr Ian R Taylor
£100,000.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
30/03/2016
Mr Ian R Taylor
£1,500.00
Conservative and Unionist Party
06/04/2016
Ian R Taylor
£150,000.00
Britain Stronger in Europe 
 
07/04/2016
Mr Ian R Taylor
£10,000.00
Conservatives IN
Electoral Commission, Ian Taylor Donation Search, accessed 20 June 2016
===Resources===
*Gordon Rayner, Cash for access: The Tory donor who profited from links with Libyan rebels, The Telegraph, 27 March 2012.
*Holly Watt, The Tory Leader's Group donor club: 'A chance for like-minded people to talk' Guardian, 4 May 2015, accessed 5 May 2015.
===Notes===
Taylor, IanTaylor, Ian Category: Brexit Category: UKCategory:Brexit ‘remain’ donor