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John McTernan

John McTernan - Former Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Scotland

John McTernan was special adviser to the Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP, Secretary of State for Scotland from 2008-2010. From 2007-8 he was special adviser to the Rt Hon Des Browne, Secretary of State for Defence and Scotland. Prior to this he worked at 10 Downing Street for three and a half years. Until July 2007 he was Political Secretary to Prime Minister Tony Blair. From January 2004 until April 2005 he was a Senior Policy Adviser in the No 10 Policy Directorate leading on regeneration, social exclusion, arts, sports, lottery and gambling. He worked with Matthew Taylor, the PM's Chief Policy Adviser, on Labour's manifesto for the 2005 General Election.

Prior to this he was the senior political columnist, and leader writer, for 'Scotland on Sunday' and acknowledged as one of Scotland's leading political thinkers. He also wrote a weekly column on social policy in 'Community Care'. As a consultant he specialised in leadership and strategic thinking - running the Civil Service Top Management Programme for the Cabinet Office, and working with a range of public and private sector organisations across the UK including the Prudential, English Partnerships, Edinburgh City Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. John was also Head of Strategy and Chief Political Adviser to the First Minister of Scotland; Director of Operations at Cartlon Productions and a Special Adviser in the Department of Social Security. He has also been a councillor in the London Borough of Southwark.

 
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Forthcoming Events

  • Follow the path of a Pound through the system, from the Budget Speech to delivery agencies, on this insightful course chaired by Carl Emmerson from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and a featuring a line-up of high profile speakersRead more

Accessing European Funding29 September 2010
  • A comprehensive guide to available EU funding sources, which equips delegates with practical tools on how to maximise the funding available to them;as well as insights on best practice. Read more

  • Look at the dramatic changes to the commissioning process in the NHS through the expert guidance of Judy Oliver and Anne Matthews. Read more

  • With an increasing demand from government for innovation to deal with the difficult tasks which lie ahead, this practical course will provide the tools and techniques to make you think about policy differently. Read more

  • An essential one-day training course, covering all aspects of Equal Pay, from legislation to best practice to emerging changes in the agenda, bringing together top experts and consultants to provide an authoritative guide. Read more