Little Rich Girl – Grace Okeeffe – Tory Candidate for Aberdeen North – Her Wish is to be Successful Just Like Daddy – She Needs to Set Her Sights Lower

 

 

Robert & Julia Grace and boyfriend

 

 

The Okeeffe Family – Born to Rule Over Us

Grace Okeeffe has been selected by Ruth Davidson to stand for the Aberdeen North seat on 8 June 2017.

An examination of her track record reveals little since she has not been in the public political arena for much time.

Facilitating the painting of an accurate picture required a study of her family background and this was more productive.

Her father Robert is a senior executive in one of the world’s largest oil support companies.

His present duties place him in South Africa where he has charge of all Pan-Africa business.

Her mother Julia maintains the family home, a large lodge house with outbuildings and scenic views. in the country outside Aberdeen. She is a company director.

Grace has a sister Lauren who lives away from home, in Edinburgh where she works in the French Consulate expanding her French.

She appears to be pro-European and this should make for interesting political discussions with her sister.

Finally there is Grace, who apart from completing a degree in politics at Glasgow University hasn’t done very much.

I have added mini pen pictures of the family confirming the foregoing.

 

Robert and Julia

 

 

Robert O’Keeffe: English born;

Education:

* Cranleigh; (exclusive private school. Annual Fees around £30-£35K. 1978 – 1983

* University of Oxford, MA (Eng) Field Of Study Engineering Science. 1984 – 1987

* Cranfield School of Management and University. MBA 1999 – 2000

 

Cranleigh

 
Employment Pattern:

* Management Consultant to the Pharmaceutical Industry: Shell – 1987 – Jun 1999 – Aberdeen, Oman, The Hague/Schiedam – Upstream Oil and Gas projects.

* Manager: Risk Management services – ZS Associates – 2000 – Apr 2005 – London, United Kingdom

* Principal Consultant: Risk Management services – DNV Consulting – Apr 2005 – Feb 2010 – Aberdeen, United Kingdom

* Senior Principal Consultant – DNV GL – Apr 2005 – Present – South Africa, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

 

Cranfield University

 

 

Employment Summary

Business Development Manager for Africa, covering Oil & Gas and Energy Business Areas since January 2016 .

Formerly Head of Risk Advisory Services (Aberdeen), Region UK Oil & Gas, DNV GL.

28 years professional experience, supplemented by a full-time MBA qualification, in both the Oil & Gas sector with an Oil Major and in the Pharmaceutical sector with a London-based Management Consultancy.

12 years Upstream experience as project manager leading multi-discipline engineering teams in several countries covering the full spectrum of project life cycle activity including risk assessment studies, conceptual and detail design for brown/green-field projects, onshore / offshore construction projects, hands-on maintenance activity and project management system support activities

5 years Consultancy experience in the general area of change management at Director level, involving in-depth analysis of business data, facilitation of senior management meetings and presentation of recommendations typically leading to changes to product/customer strategy, reorganisation of companies and / or changes to management systems.

10 years Risk Management Consultancy in the upstream oil and gas industry.

 

Lauren Okeeffe

 
Lauren O’Keeffe (Sister of Grace)
Education:

* Albyn School: – exclusive private school in Aberdeen

* The University of Edinburgh: – French MA (Hons)

* Université Paris XII: – Master’s Student of Linguistics MSc.

 

 

 

Employment History:

*Marketing Assistant at Trybal

*Intern at European Parliament

* Committee Leader, “The Exchange Society”

* Expects to take up a career in Marketing,Communications…

 

Lauren O’Keeffe and others at Holyrood

 

 

Lauren O’Keeffe participated in a discussion at the Holyrood Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee 25 April 2017

Convener (Joan McAlpine):

Today, the committee will have a round-table discussion with young people to explore Scotland’s future relationship with the European Union.

I welcome all our attendees, who have joined us from a wide range of youth groups across Scotland.

I understand that you have spent the morning discussing in detail Scotland’s future relationship with the EU and the issues that you consider to be most relevant.

The participants were separated into four groups, each of which was allocated one of the following topics:

the economy; education; the environment; and human rights.

Two representatives from each group have kindly agreed to speak on behalf of their groups in our evidence session this afternoon.

Cranfield Uninveristy

 

Lauren O’Keefe (Consulate General of France, Edinburgh):

We are concerned about how young people will be represented in the negotiations, given that over three quarters of young people voted to remain in the EU. There is consistent talk of a hard Brexit, but the vote was split almost 50:50, so why is it not a soft Brexit? Who is representing the remainers?

Lauren O’Keefe:

Our group discussed concerns about the environment, which is never prioritised in any mandate at the moment; it is always at the bottom of the list.

We are worried that some of the environmental protection laws that the EU has created might be lost once we leave. We wonder whether they will be maintained.

There are many lessons that we can take from Europe.

Places such as Holland and Scandinavia have a lot of initiatives, for example people get money for disposing of bottles.

There are so many more things like that that we could take from Europe and do in this country.

We are also concerned about a recent reconfiguration at Westminster, where the environment department’s funds were reduced.

The environmental situation is one of the biggest problems of our time and, for young people, it is our future.

Older people who voted will not see the impact but we will, so the environment is really important to us.

Furthermore, we can take lessons on renewable energy from countries such as Denmark, which has a target to go carbon neutral by 2050.

We have a target to reduce carbon emissions by something like 40 per cent by 2030, but a lot more could be done, such as encouraging less consumption of meat.

We also wonder whether sustainable fishing and farming will continue.

They benefit the economy, especially all the fishing in the north of Scotland, but will fishing and farming damage the environment if we do not have the EU regulations any more?

Someone in the group raised a point about nuclear energy.

Scotland is not proceeding with any more nuclear programmes when, in fact, it is a sustainable form of energy.

We get about two thirds of our energy from Europe, so how will that be replaced?

Will it be replaced with renewables or will the Government just continue with fracking and approaches like that?

Lauren O’Keefe:

Brexit could be seen as an opportunity to make a difference and to look good to other countries.

We could start to create laws that are even better for the environment. If we look at animal welfare, there are no battery hens because of EU law.

Will we maintain or improve those laws?

An excellent discussion group . Well worth a read (http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10911&i=99818&c=1994316)

 

 
Grace OKeeffe

Education:

* Glasgow University – MA (politics) 2008 – 2013

Employment:

* Whilst studying at University gained knowledge of Westminster politics through a number of 1 month internships. 2008-2013

* Worked as a waitress (part time) in a number of establishments whilst studying at University. 2008 – 2013

* Joined “Better Together” team at the start of the Referendum

* Employed by Alexander Burnett as a political P/A. West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Election – June 2014-2017

 

Alexander Burnett

 

 
February 2016: Grace O’Keeffe promotes crowd-funder appeal for Multi-Millionaire Tory candidate Alexander Burnett

Alexander has a real chance of beating the SNP and the Liberal Democrats have shown that they have no chance of winning.

Alexander has grown up in Aberdeenshire West and lives near Banchory with his wife and family.

He said “This constituency is my home. I want to see it prosper and our communities flourish. We have so much potential across this part of the North East and I know that with your support, we can ensure this beautiful area of Aberdeenshire continues to prosper.

With your help, we can spread Tory blue across the length and breadth of the Aberdeenshire West.

Your donations will help us contact thousands of voters, explain our Conservative vision and start a conversation about their ambitions for our capital and our country.”

We asked you to donate to Alexander’s campaign to get elected to the Scottish Parliament.

We are able to tell you that we successfully raised £3,020 of £3,000 target with 27 supporters in 42 days.

This page is promoted by Grace O’Keeffe on behalf of Alexander Burnett.  A millionaire Tory has the audacity to ask the electors to fund his campaign. Unreal.

 

 
27 May 2016: Alexander Burnett Tory MSP in sexism row after family firm advert is branded derogatory by feminist group

Burnett is today at the centre of a sexism row after his family’s property firm published racy adverts that have infuriated feminists.

Aberdeenshire – based Bancon Homes are promoting a new housing development with a photograph of a scantily-clad model with the slogan: “I don’t remember him… but I remember his apartment.”

The brochure was last night branded “derogatory to women” by Talat Yaqoob, chairwoman of campaign group Women 50:50.

A Tory spokesman joked: “It’s clear the party won’t be taking advice from Alexander when it comes to advertising campaigns.” (Daily Record)

 

Alexander Burnett

 

 
11 September 2016: Tory candidate, Multi-Millionaire Alexander Burnett and his Agent Claire O’Keeffe in Expenses cock-up ,

Multi-Millionaire Tory MSP Burnett is facing allegations he failed to declare using his own office for his Holyrood campaign.

The watchdog’s rules state the value of any office space used in election campaigns must be declared.

But Burnett, who is worth more than £20 million, allegedly failed to declare the use of his Banchory Business Centre in an official election spending return.

Burnett’s election agent Grace O’Keeffe inadvertently exposed the use of his business premises at the time she posted a photo to Twitter from within the Banchory Business Centre on polling day. A similar snap from the office had been posted in April.

Burnett’s election returns for the five weeks before the election show he spent £376.25 on office costs, with a further £682.50 spent between January and April.

But the return states the accommodation was supplied by the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine branch of the Scottish Conservatives.

The returns also show Burnett spent modest sums on mobile phone bills supplied by the North Banchory Company, a property firm which the Tory MSP is a director of.

However, there’s no mention of phone costs for the Banchory Business Centre as referenced in the Twitter message from Grace Okeeffe.

Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin said: “It is vital for that candidates and political parties are open and transparent in what they spend.

The Tories won Aberdeenshire West by only the slimmest of margins and any campaign spending kept off the books could be seen as one candidate having an unfair advantage.

Since his election in May, Alexander Burnett has made a series of blunders and caused serious embarrassment for the Scottish Tories.

In cases where a member faces questions over their election spending, the public have a right to expect full answers from the Scottish Tories and Ruth Davidson should now suspend him from the party until the issue is fully resolved.” (The Sunday Post)

 

Davidson needs to apologise

 

 

12 September 2016: Sturgeon calls for Davidson apology over ‘offensive’ EU comments

French-born former SNP MSP Christian Allard reported Aberdeenshire West Tory MSP Alexander Burnett to the Standards Commissioner for failing to disclose his business interests when raising objections against a rival property developer in the Scottish Parliament.

The Tory press office responded with a statement which said: “Some people may find it bizarre that an EU citizen has an interest in a planning application in Banchory.

However, it is easily explained when people understand that the planning consultant in question is an SNP appointee to the Scottish Government housing committee and Christian Allard was a former SNP MSP.”

Allard lives near Banchory in Aberdeenshire and represented the North East Scotland region until earlier this year.

Nicola Sturgeon wrote to Ruth Davidson; “Political leaders, such as ourselves, have a responsibility to set the tone for political debate and never more so than in the current climate, when the post-Brexit landscape has witnessed some deeply troubling episodes in other parts of the UK, and which all of us have a serious responsibility to try and avoid occurring in Scotland.

Although we have different views on the constitutional future of Scotland any debate must be “tempered with respect, a respect which is utterly lacking in the remarks about Christian Allard and, by extension, other EU citizens living in Scotland”.

I urge you to make it clear that your party accept that EU citizens living in Scotland have a right to involve themselves in the affairs of their communities and in public life in general” and that the comment issued by your office was unacceptable.

Ten days have now passed since the comments were made. And every passing day without a public acknowledgement and apology gives credence to the impression that you do not consider it a serious matter.

If you ultimately fail to publicly withdraw the comment and apologise for it, then the only conclusion people will be able to draw is that you – and the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party as a whole – are content for such sentiments to be part of public debate in Scotland. That would be a matter of deep regret.”

The Tories declined to comment. (The National)

 

 

 

 

French Consular General Rebukes Ruth Davidson over Anti-EU comments

The Consular councillor for French nationals in Scotland, Professor David Lussea, called on Tory leader Ruth Davidson intervene after clash over “anti-EU” comments directed at the former SNP MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Christian Allard, who is French.

In a recent statement, the Tory press office questioned Allard’s right to speak up about the property allegations in his area describing him as a EU citizen rather than a local resident with concerns.

In a strongly worded letter to Davidson, he wrote: “You must understand that the slightest slip of the tongue, the slightest allusion, can open the floodgate of xenophobia. The minority of people interested in segregating our communities will take it as a sign that xenophobia is acceptable.” (Daily Record)

 

 

 

 

April 2017: Scottish Tory candidate selections proceed apace using fast-track rules

Whereas in England and Wales there’s a competitive process for most Tory held and target seats (unless CCHQ and the Association agree to automatically reselect a previous candidate), the Scottish Conservatives have opted to make it the norm to offer every association a single candidate approved by by Ruth Davidson.

Any local association has the right to reject that offer and go for the longer competitive route, but, to quote the Scottish rules:

“It will be emphasised to the association chairman that the process needs to be as efficient as possible and (approving a nominated single candidate) is the preferred option for selection.”

This allows total control of the candidate selection process by the leadership.

(http://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2017/04/scottish-conservative-candidate-selections-proceed-apace-using-fast-track-rules.html)