The system should not place wealthy donors with private companies at an advantage compared with ordinary taxpayers who pay out of post-tax income.

Alistair Graham

Sir John Alistair Graham was the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life from 2003 until April 2007. He was born in Northumberland, and was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and the Institute of Training and Development. He has been a visiting Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford. He has Honorary Doctorates from the Open University and from Bradford University. He was knighted in the Millennium Honours List for services to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland. Sir Alistair has had a long and varied career in public service. Between 1966 and 1986 he worked for the Trades Union, the Civil and Public Services Association as Assistant Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and, finally, General Secretary. His next post was as Chief Executive of the Industrial Society between 1986 and 1991, after which he became Chief Executive of Calderdale and Kirklees Training and Enterprise Council, then of the Leeds Training and Enterprise Council. During this latter period he also served as Chairman of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.

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