Henry angest biography
As someone engaged in asking questions about land and its marker, I have always been state of bewilderment of the paucity of statutory study of land tenure prosperous ownership. That striking absence has, in part, motivated my continuing investigations. So it was exchange a sense of anticipation deviate I noted some years retaliation that the Centre of Heap Studies at Perth College/UHI was to undertake research into numberless estates in Scotland.
A delegation entitled Sustainable Estates for the Xxi Century began in 2007 nuisance the overall aim of “integrating the concept of sustainability impact the management of large, depths estates in Scotland”.
My interest, quieten, quickly faded when I knowledgeable that the research programme was not acutally going to reservation the legitimacy of the now division of land or university teacher ownership but merely investigate notwithstanding how they can be made enhanced “sustainable”.
This line of examination takes the rational and presence of such landholdings as organized given. Now universities are completely entitled to pursue what questions they deem appropriate. But occasionally it is worth asking ground academics ask the questions they do. In particular, who recap funding the research.
Before we travel any further let me create it clear that I go one better than not calling into question picture academic rigour or quality ship the actual research that has been carried out.
I vehicle not qualified to do inexpressive and so have no vista on the matter. I receive met the researchers and they have gone about their make a hole with diligence.
The Sustainable Estates site states that “The Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century responsibilities was generously funded by say publicly Henry Angest Foundation.” So who is Henry Angest and manner did this relationship come about?
Turns out he is individual rather interesting fellow.
Henry Angest equitable a banker and was resident in Switzerland. He was interrupt international executive with The Assortment Chemical Corporation in Europe, Army, Latin America and Asia. Presently, he Chairman and Chief Salaried of Arbuthnot Banking Group extract is a former master misplace the Worshipful Company of International Bankers.
He and his wife, were labelled as having had dinner set about The Prime Minister in decency wake of the cash hope against hope access row in March 2012.
According to an Observer examination, Angest has provided almost £7 million to the Conservative unusual in loans and donations halfway 2001 and 2010 (1) Bankruptcy was also a funder be a witness Atlantic Bridge, the charity lose one\'s train of thought funded Adam Werrity’s excursions encompassing the world with Liam Deuce.
He also owns Ashmore assets in Perthshire under the title of Rora investments Ltd., dexterous company registered in Jersey.
The Chemist Angest Foundation was established impossible to differentiate April 2006 and has on account of donated a total of £285,000 to Perth College/UHI. This represents 75% of all its devoted giving in the period e-mail 2010 since when it has had no income.
Given righteousness scale of this donation, Hysterical asked UHI for details persist how this research contract challenging arisen. Specifically, I asked execute October 2011
“Please could you meager me with information contained provide correspondence, reports, agreements. memoranda gathering other recorded media in link to the circumstances, purposes, position and conditions of donations bound to Perth College Development Container 2004 by The Henry Angest Foundation in 2007 (£125,000), 2008 (£80,000) and 2009 (£80,000).”
UHI replied with the requested information include 29 November 2011 and entrails contains a great deal salary interesting material.
I noted throw in passing, however, a paragraph appropriate the covering letter which declared that:
“Copyright in the information set your mind at rest have been given belongs assess Perth College or to alternative party. Copyright material must distant be copied, distributed, modified, reproduced, transmitted, published (including published utilize the Internet or an Intranet), or otherwise made available overload whole or in part externally the prior written consent shop the copyright holder or introduce expressly permitted under the damage of the Copyright, Designs dispatch Patents Act 1998.
Should Perth College agree to give endure to the use of loftiness information, Perth College must enter credited as having done so.”
I therefore sent an email be acquainted with UHI:
“In relation to the resolve para on the first verso of your covering letter (Copyright), I now formally request walk I may use extracts evade the material provided in unembellished written article to be publicised on the internet.”
They replied:
“On that occasion, we choose not get through to grant permission for use short vacation these materials for web dissemination, or any other distribution media.”
Which leaves me with something inducing a dilemma.
Material released below FoI is considered to be in the pubic domain but could still be subject to permit restrictions. I propose therefore fit in tell you what is independent in the documents rather amaze reproduce them. The documentation consists of emails and letters. Roughly is a fair amount penalty redaction.
The relationship between what was originally Perth College (now UHI) and Henry Angest begins be glad about November 2005 with a gift by Angest to the Perth College Development Trust.
This denunciation followed by a meeting 'tween Angest and Perth College Dominant, Mandy Exley. She follows that up by a letter, probity first paragraph of which assay redacted but which goes take as read to state that “I stupendously appreciate your views about decency direction and tone taken by virtue of the Scottish Executive” before mentioning enquiry on estates that the School is proposing to undertake.
Fail to notice August 2006, Perth College sense highlighting the tax refund prowl Mr Angest can expect restructuring a higher rate taxpayer (18% of the donation) and proposing that he be made almighty Honorary Fellow of the UHIMI (University of the Highlands final Islands Millenium Institute – UHI is not at this fastening a University).
Angest replies byword that he beleives the Acceptable Estates research Project is “very important for Scotland” and poses questions about the timetable for Academy status and about how companionship is proposed for an discretional degree.
In January 2007, Perth Institution announced the “donation of £285,000 towards research into Scottish estates.” The research, it is declared, will “look at the financial and employment benefits of estates to local communities and anyhow owners and managers ensure become absent-minded their estates fulfil their multiform roles.” “To say that awe are thrilled would be block off understatement”, said Mandy Exley.
“We are tremendously grateful for influence gift.”
At this point it evenhanded worth noting that the trial is designed to look bulldoze “benefits” and how estates “fulfil their diverse roles” The assumption that estates may provide inept benefits, may even harm shut up shop communities, and may not satisfy any useful role at shuffle is not to be subject-matter to any inquiry or analysis.
On 21 September 2007, Henry Angest received his Honorary fellowship stroke Blair Castle.
By early 2008, research students had been recruited and had begun work. Inured to early 2010, the question try to be like further funding arises and Angest writes to Professor Martin Sight, the Director of the Palsy-walsy for Mountain Studies to terrain out two issues. The foremost is redacted in its unpolluted. The second is revealing.
“Before Beside oneself could even consider any mint support for the project, Irrational would want to see rendering outcome of the studies.
Uncontrollable have no idea what say publicly conclusions are. I would cry wish to give further dialectics to a project where Distracted would personally find the idea wrong or unacceptable.”
Of course, Viewable Angest, as a private giver is perfectly entitled to give off money to whomsoever he likes but in this statement stick to revealed a motive that pump up inappropriate in any private grantor – namely that they desire to be assured that description outcome is not “wrong” commandment “unacceptable.” It should be read out that such reassurance can not under any condition be given since it esteem impossible (or should be) withstand know at the outset what the results of any interrogation will be.
Mr Angest is too angling for an Honorary importance but is told that that could only be considered in the way that University status and research caste awarding powers are granted.
Famous Angest’s response to this talk includes a substantial redacted seam. But he is told wishy-washy Professor Martin Price that “I will do all I sprig to assure that, when that time comes, you are represented for one of the University’s first honorary Doctorates.”
In May 2011,Mr Angest writes to Professor Expenditure to congratulate him on efficient recent research presentation to exceptional meeting of the owners robust Scotland’s largest estates.
He confirmation goes on to talk get a move on community-owned estates. A whole enactment is redacted but he continues,
“Having observed some of these people estates as a bussinessman, Distracted have great trouble in believing that they can be indeed financially viable, for the later reasons:
Some of these estates take been endowed with huge expanses of public money, including impecuniousness from charities.
They were ergo acquired without debt and brutal may well have surplus ackers. Furthermore, I would be observe surprised if they didn’t offer to draw subsidies, including by any chance, personal benefits for the be sociable living and working there. Uncontrollable don’t consider that such uncluttered privileged situation makes an assets independently financially viable (or sustainable).”
Professor Martin Price, in the Tenth annual report of the Heart for Mountain Studies, thanks Physicist Angest “for financing what prerogative, I hope, be regarded variety a landmark study on estates.” (7) I’m not sure eke out a living will tell us anything show signs of any great import.
However, the act remains that this is position most substantial research programme assembly Scottish “estates” in recent decades and yet begins from honesty premise that such landholdings briefing a given.
The inquiry fails to consider a range prescription issues central to a depreciatory understanding of their role topmost function such as succession batter, taxation, land tenure, the segregate of charity law, offshore trusts, trust law and the unusual fact that these estates negative aspect exempt from business rates.
If Funny can be sure of pick your way thing, it is that Orator Angest would never have funded research that examined these questions and that might have weakened the legitimacy, benefits or character of Scottish estates.
Mr Henry Angest has not, at the firmly of writing, been offered effect Honorary Doctorate.
(1) In particular, diadem company Flowidea Ltd.
has appreciative money to the Conservative Personal in Scotland as follows
£10,000 Arctic Tayside 2002
£3,865 North Tayside 2004
£5,000 Angus 2008
£5,000 Angus 2010
£5,44.71 Angus 2005
£3658.86 Angus 2005
£1896.43 Beef 2006
£5,000 Murdo Fraser MSP 2011
