Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke, a British Conservative Party leadership aspirant, is also non-executive deputy chairman of British American Tobacco (BAT) and chair of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee.
Clarke's supporters have suggested he would resign the BAT roles only if elected leader. The Observer reports that a BAT document from 2000 states "the process [of CSR] will not only help BAT achieve a position of recognised responsibility, but also provide 'air cover' from criticism while improvements are being made." [1]
Writing in the Guardian, George Monbiot argues that while not suggesting that Clarke had done anything illegal or in breach of the criminal code, he shouldn't be able to duck responsibility for BAT activities. "It seems to me that in a fair world - a world in which human life was valued by our legislators - he would not now be contemplating the leadership of Her Majesty's opposition. He would be behind bars," Monbiot wrote. [2]
Writing in the U.K. newspaper the Guardian, Simon Bowers, noted the comment from British Conservative Party leadership hopeful Kenneth Clarke and chair of British American Tobacco's corporate social responsibility committee that the company has "become more controversial since I went on the board." [3]
Bowers contacted BAT wanting to know if Clarke's view was shared by the board as a whole. "What Ken said was not meant in any particularly negative way. It was a comment on the public perception of BAT," they told him. As to whether the company had become more controversial during Clarke's eight year stint on the board the spokeswoman was insistent. "No, certainly not," she said. When asked about doing business in Burma at the company's annual general meeting two years ago Clarke admitted it was "not one of the most attractive governments in the world." [4]
Other SourceWatch resources
External links
- Simon Bowers,
"[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/backbench/comment/0,,1561367,00.html BAT increasingly controversial, according to Clarke]", Diary, Guardian (UK), 2 September 2005
