Summary of investigation – Lord Dannatt

Published on: Monday 15th September 2025

August to September 2025

Organisation or person investigated

The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC (“Lord Dannatt”)

Matter(s) investigated

Whether Lord Dannatt conducted unregistered consultant lobbying

Registrar’s decision

Based on information and assurances provided, Lord Dannatt has not conducted unregistered consultant lobbying in relation to the matter under investigation.

Summary of rationale for decision

Based on substantive and unequivocal written information provided, Lord Dannatt made an otherwise registrable communication for which the incidental exemption applies.

Under the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (“the Act”), a registrable communication is made by a VAT registered company or individual communicating with a Minister, Permanent Secretary (or equivalent) on behalf of a paying client.

Under the Act there is an incidental exception and my guidance sets out how I apply this narrow exception. Based on the information and assurances provided, the communication was not a substantive part of the main business assessed either:

• by volume; or
• by the value of the work undertaken; or
• by its significance to the client offering; or
• by the significance of its contribution to the business’s non-lobbying activities.

Chronology

Date	Action
5 Aug	Article in The Guardian regarding Lord Dannatt’s work for Teledyne.
11 Aug	Formal letter from the Registrar to Lord Dannatt giving background on the requirement for registering and asking if his activities fall within the criteria to be registered with particular reference to, but not limited to, letters to the Home Secretary, on 23 January 2023 and to the Minister of State for Security, on 12 September 2024.
26 Aug	Email from Lord Dannatt to the Registrar giving further background on the letters.
2 Sept	Letter from the Registrar to Lord Dannatt requesting the letters and details of his terms of engagement with Teledyne.
9 Sept	Letter from Lord Dannatt to the Registrar, along with the information requested on 2 September.
15 Sept	Letter from the Registrar concluding the investigation.

15 September 2025

Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists

office@orcl.gov.uk