Hakluyt’s managing partner, Varun Chandra, is reportedly in talks to join the government in a senior business liaison role, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Chandra, who has been at the helm of the corporate intelligence firm since 2019, is said to be in advanced discussions to take on a key position in 10 Downing Street. This role has been previously held by Lord Petitgas, a former Morgan Stanley banker, in Rishi Sunak’s administration.
Prior to his time at Hakluyt, Chandra worked as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers and later established the regulated business operations for former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hakluyt, a privately owned firm, specializes in providing corporate intelligence to its clients, a service that has become increasingly valuable in the complex global business landscape.
Sources within the Labour party cautioned that Chandra’s role has not yet been finalized and that he could potentially take on a different position, such as the investment minister post previously held by Lord Johnson in the last government. It is also unclear if the Downing Street business liaison role would come with a peerage, unlike the investment minister position.
Hakluyt’s international advisory board is chaired by Lord Hague, a former Tory leader and foreign secretary, and also employs Olly Robbins, the former chief Brexit negotiator for Theresa May’s government.
If Chandra were to accept a role in the Labour administration, he would need to divest his interest in Hakluyt or place it in a blind trust or equivalent structure, as per government regulations.
Both Hakluyt and 10 Downing Street declined to comment on the matter when approached by media outlets. In the meantime, speculation continues to mount about the potential changes and appointments that may come with Sir Keir Starmer’s new leadership of the Labour party.
