CAPRiM


CAPRiM ltd, Corporate Asset Protection and Risk Management, was an intelligence service used by corporations.

Background

CAPRiM was established in May 1993 as a successor to the Economic League, which had held the construction industry's blacklist but which had been wound up in 1993 after a parliamentary enquiry and bad press. It provided continued employment for two former League directors, Jack Winder and Stan Hardy. Construction company Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd invested £10,000 in founding CAPRiM, on the understanding that they would not interfere with The Consulting Association.

Targets

In evidence given to the Scottish Parliamentary Affairs Committee as part of its inquiry into blacklisting on 5 February 2013, former CAPRiM director Jack Winder said that it held information and knowledge on campaigning groups and "far-left" political parties seen as a threat to businesses, including:
CAPRiM warned firms of those it believed could "weaken a company's ability to manage its affairs profitably". Its monitor said: "Companies need to be warned what these organisations are saying and planning. Caprim provides this information. And assesses the strength of the threat. And advises on appropriate action."

Directors

Jack Winder claimed that the joint managing directors were himself and Stan Hardy; while its non-executive directors were Sir Henry Saxon Tate CBE and Bernard Norman Sefton-Forbes. Hardy had previously been director-general of the Economic League, and was a director of CAPRiM until at least 1999.