Elizabeth Symons, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Elizabeth Conway Symons, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, PC (born 14 April, 1951), is a British politician, and is a Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She was created a Labour Life Peer in 1996.

Prior to her elevation, she was a prominent trade unionist, and was General-Secretary of Association of First Division Civil Servants from 1989 to 1997. Baroness Symons was or remains a member of the British American Project (BAP). It has a membership of 600 leaders and opinion formers, drawn equally from both countries, the Guardian says, and holds an annual conference at which everything that is said is officially off-the-record. [1] According to investigative journalist John Pilger, the BAP has been funded by and worked with a long list of U.S. right-wing foundations and groups including the Pew Charitable Trust which prvided the start-up funds.[2]

In 1999, she became Minister of State for Defence Procurement for Prime Minister Tony Blair. According to a September 20, 2002 article in the British satirical magazine Private Eye, Symons acted in this capacity to approve a contract of nearly $500 million to Brown & Root, a subsidiary of the Halliburton Corporation, to transport British tanks and other heavy equipment to battle fronts. Halliburton is the company previously run by United States Vice-President Dick Cheney.

In June 2003, she was appointed Minister of State for the Middle East, International Security, Consular and Personal Affairs in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In October 2002, her partner Phil Bassett, Rupert Murdoch's former labour writer at the Times, was appointed to the stategic communications unit in 10 Downing Street, leaving in September 2003 to become special adviser to Lord Falconer, the secretary for constitutional affairs.