Ruth Turner (born c. 1971 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland as Caitriona Ruth Turner), was formerly Director of Government Relations within Tony Blair's Downing Street office.[1]
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As daughter of leading Catholic writer and academic Denys Turner, Turner spent her childhood moving between university towns as her father's career gathered pace. Turner left home in the late 1980s to study at the University of Salford, graduating with a BA in English & History in 1991 and followed by a sabbatical year as the Students Union's Deputy President for Communications, elected as the Labour Students candidate.
Turner came to prominence as co-founder and former chairperson of the Big Issue in the North, which she started in 1992, before leaving in 2000. She subsequently formed a Manchester-based social research company, Vision Twentyone, a 'social consultancy' which ran "citizens' juries" to come up with strategies to improve the community. In 2004, Ruth formed another social business, [1] Commotion, with her brother Brendan Turner.
Rising through the Labour Party's ranks, she stood as a Labour candidate for the European Parliament elections in North-West England constituency in 1999, before becoming a member of its National Executive Committee in 2000. In 2005 she was placed in the key post of Head of Government Relations by Tony Blair, replacing Lady Morgan of Huyton, the Prime Minister's long-time adviser, who first recommended her. She worked directly for Tony Blair's chief of staff Jonathan Powell.
She has since followed Tony Blair on his exit from Downing Street, and is currently employed by the Blair Foundation on, according to the Daily Telegraph, a six figure salary.[2] .
In September 2006, it was reported that Turner had been interviewed under police caution[3] under Scotland Yard's ongoing cash for peerages inquiry.[4][5] It was revealed in November 2006 that she had been questioned by the police four times [6] as part of the on-going inquiry.
In July 2006 it had been reported that she was at the centre of another political corruption probe.[7] Her ex-partner Matt Finnegan, had been suspended from his job as Head of Media Relations at Liverpool City Council in April 2005 after awarding work to Turner's former company, the Big Issue in the North in 2002 - two years after she had left the company. Turner released a statement through 10 Downing Street in response to the report, where she commented: "There is no truth in this. I left the Big Issue in the North in May 2000. I understand this work was awarded by Liverpool City Council to the Big Issue in the North in July 2002. I have no knowledge of, nor was I involved in, any aspect of this."
On 19 January 2007 she was arrested at her home in the early hours of the morning in relation to the cash for peerages inquiry on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Later that day she was released on police bail.[8] [9] The CPS later dropped all charges against her and the others involved.