Bell Pottinger Public Affairs

From Powerbase
Revision as of 01:44, 19 November 2013 by Melissa Jones (talk | contribs) (→‎Opposing transparency)
Jump to: navigation, search
Twenty-pound-notes.jpg This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.

Bell Pottinger Public Affairs (BPPA) is one of the lobbying divisions of Bell Pottinger Communications, one of the largest public relations companies in the United Kingdom.

Background

"BPPA previously operated within the public relations division of Chime Communications plc,".

Its stated aim is to "work closely with clients to ensure that their case hits home with the people who matter most... We make sure that our clients know the politics, policies, people and process that drive decisions. We advise our clients on what to say, how to say to it, who to and when." [1]

Opposing transparency

BPPA was for many years one of the largest lobbying firms that refused to disclose its client list. Giving evidence to MPs conducting the Parliamentary inquiry [2] into lobbying in March 2008, Peter Bingle, Chairman of BPPA, said "The public has no right to know who our clients are". [3] Bingle also voiced his resistance to closer scrutiny of the industry in an opinion piece in PR Week in September 2007. When the inquiry was announced, he wrote: “There is no point rehearsing in public the view that we welcome the inquiry. We don’t. I have yet to meet a member of the industry who does… The real issue is that the industry needs a public voice with the ability to make a convincing case and to disarm the doubters… Now is not the time for faint hearts.” [4]

In its written evidence to the told the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee on Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall (PASC) Bell Pottinger Public Affairs argued that they did comply with the APPC code in all respects apart from disclosing their client list “which we cannot do as we have confidentiality clauses with some clients and others are covered by national and personal security obligations” [5]

In 2009 Bell Pottinger Public Affairs told the PASC inquiry that, “We think that it would be an unnecessary burden for Parliament to be a regulator of our industry, and that it would be an unnecessary burden on the public purse for there to be an external authority”. [6]

Bell Pottinger finally joined the self-regulatory body the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) in spring 2013.

Influencing government policy

In early 2007, BPPA produced the Brown Book, essential, at around £5000, for “anyone with an interest in the interplay between politics and business”. It includes a 40 page chapter on “who to know” in Gordon Brown’s government. [7] The Independent on Sunday reported it had seen an email from a leading lobbyist bragging how it is cashing in on its "unrivalled expertise and links to the Brown camp". [8]

In September 2006, PR Week reported that "senior politicians including two Cabinet members pulled out of evening receptions organised by Bell Pottinger Public Affairs at the Labour conference this week ... following revelations that the firm was charging clients fixed fees to meet them." Chairman of BPPA, Peter Bingle admitted: “They didn't want to be linked to the idea of cash for access”. An email leaked to The Times indicated that clients would be charged some £5,000 for the opportunity to meet with Lord Falconer, Stephen Timms, Richard Caborn and Kevin Barron MP. [9]

Caught on camera

In an undercover investigation conducted in June and July 2011, BPPA was secretly filmed boasting once again about its access, this time to the Coalition government, and how it uses ‘dark arts’ to bury bad coverage and influence public opinion. Reporters from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism posed as agents for the brutal Uzbek government dictatorship and representatives of Uzbekistan's cotton industry.

As part of their pitch, BPPA executives claimed they had persuaded David Cameron to speak to the Chinese premier on behalf of one of their business clients, within 24 hours of asking him to do so. They also boasted about Bell Pottinger’s access to the Foreign Secretary William Hague, to Cameron’s chief of staff Ed Llewellyn and to Cameron’s old friend and closest No 10 adviser Steve Hilton. [10] The revelations, published in the Independent, led to an investigation by the industry body PRCA and also saw the PRCA withdraw from the UK Public Affairs Council and endorse the government’s decision to introduce a statutory register of public affairs practitioners. [11]

Among other dark arts tactics, BPPA also recommended using an event run by the think tank Policy Exchange as a root to influencing UK government policy. The firm's managing director, Tim Collins, also recommended a meeting with its Chairman Daniel Finkelstein, who he said was very close to David Cameron.[12]

Bell Pottinger quoted the Uzbek representatives a potential ‘£1 million-plus’ fee for carrying out the work.[10]

No impact whatsoever

Chairman Lord Bell claimed in March 2012 however that the negative headlines about BPPA's ethical practices resulting from the Bureau's sting operation had had 'no effect whatsoever' on trading.

BPPA parent company Chime Communications had announced a 4% rise in like-for-like income for the year ended 31 December 2011, but saw its PR revenues fall by 7% on a like-for-like basis. Revenues were up by 10% overall to £163.6m.

‘The phone never stops ringing - we’re pitching all the time and continuing to win business.’ Bell said he was awaiting results of his company's complaint to the regulator, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) about the Independent's 'inaccuracy' and 'deception'. [13]

In July 2012 the PCC threw out Bell's complaint, ruling that the Independent's undercover filming of Bell Pottinger PR executives discussing work for the Uzbekistan government was 'justified in the public interest'. [14]

People

Clients

Clients registered on the APPC Register to the quarter ending 31 May 2013 included Big Four accountancy firm Deloitte, Imperial Tobacco, Rio Tinto, China National Offshore Oil Corporation and News International.[15]

A recently acquired client is Cuadrilla Resources, whose controversial operations in Balcombe, West Sussex, prompted anti-fracking protestors to superglue themselves to Bell Pottinger's London headquarters on 19 August 2013. [15]

Clients listed on the PRCA Register in November 2011:[16] Ascertiva | Asda (property) | Astrazeneca | BACTA | Bank of Ireland | Barrowfen | Beit Issie Shapiro | Berkeley Homes | Berwin Leighton & Paisner | BT Health | BXL Consulting | Canary Wharf | Capital & Counties | Carlyle Group | Citibank NA | Constellation | |Delancey | Deloitte | Derwent London | Direct Marketing Association | DSM | Dyson | Emirates Airlines | Equitable Members Action Group | European Care Group | First Base | Food and Drink Federation | Imperial Tobacco | Inmarsat | Kellogg’s | Kingsley Napley | Ladbrokes | Law Society | Lend Lease | Lloyds Action Now | Long Harbour | Lonhro | M3 Consulting | Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company | Matterhorn Capital Properties (via Assaei) | McGrigors | Morgan Sindall | Motor Sports Association | National Grid Holdings | National Grid Property | Oil & Gas UK | Ovo Energy | Park Group | Permira | Places for People | Police Federation | Port of Dover | PowerPerfector | Princes Securities | Provident Financial | Ranger Services | Rebekah Brooks | Red Bull | Rio Tinto | Rolls Royce | Royal Bank of Scotland | RoSPA | Royalton | Royal Mail Estates | Rydon Homes | Saab | Southern Cross Healthcare | Stannah | St James | STL Technologies | Talk Talk | Tottenham Hotspur FC | University and College Union | Voreda | Waitrose | Wates | Wheelsure | Zurich Assurance (DMP Putney)

Clients listed to February 2011[17] Alstom Power | Anadarko | Ascertiva | Aspers | Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers | Astrazeneca | BAE Systems | BACTA | Bank of Ireland | Berkeley Homes | BT MPP | Canary Wharf | Capital One Partners | Carlyle Group | Citibank NA | Constellation | Courtauld Institute |Deloitte | Derwent London| Eclipse Hotels | Emirates | Equitable Members Action Group | Fluor | Food and Drink Federation | Frasers – Camberwell | Global Warming Policy Foundation | Government of Bahrain | GSG Holdings | Historic Royal Palaces | HomeSun | Imperial Tobacco | Inmarsat | Jacobs | Kellogg’s | Ladbrokes | Law Society | Mercedes-Benz | Motor Sports Association | National Grid Commercial | National Grid Property | Park Group | Permira | Places for People |Port of Dover | Port of London Authority | Press Complaints Commission | Provident Financial | Red Bull |Rio Tinto |Rolls Royce | Royalton Ltd | Stannah | St James | Sunderland City Council | TAG Farnborough Airport | Tottenham Hotspur FC | Treasury Holdings | University and College Union | Visteon | Voreda – Woodlands | Waitrose

Clients in March 2008 (as listed on BPPA website)

Iraq

In March 2004 BPPA won a $5.8m (£3.2m) four-month contract from the U.S. supported administration in Iraq to promote the establishment of democracy ahead of the handover of power to the interim Iraqi authority on 30 June. According to PR Week, the contract also includes promoting the election of an Iraqi government.

"B-PC will work with its Dubai operation Bates PanGulf, and Baghdad-based media services company Balloch & Roe. A small team will be sent to work with Balloch & Roe's Arabic writers who will advise on how best to cross the cultural divide," PR Week reported.[18]

The project team, PR Week reports will be headed by Mark Turnbull and the head of BPPA's Dubai office Tom Mollo. The Independent (UK) reported that company founder Tim Bell described his role as "masterminding the campaign in London". [19]

Defence

In 2003 BAE Systems appointed Bell Pottinger Public Affairs to look at improving their corporate reputation with political and business audiences. The account was led by Peter Bingle. In 2004, Charlotte Lambkin, who had been Director of Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial was appointed the BAE Group Communications Director. “We hired Bell Pottinger for Piers [Pottinger],” Lambkin said in 2005. “He has a strong relationship with Mike Turner [chief executive at BAE Systems] and he is also contactable when I want him.”[20]

BAE was recently under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office for allegedly “bribing” Saudi generals. The Guardian reported that “A well-orchestrated PR campaign, involving BAE's lobbyists, veteran fixer Tim Bell… was already setting up a chorus that the latest Saudi arms contract was in danger, threatening up to 100,000 jobs.” According to the report, the campaign saw MPs from all parties urging the investigation be dropped, citing fears that jobs would be lost in their constituencies. The Government blocked the SFO inquiry in December 2006, claiming it would endanger Britain's security.[21]

In April 2011 it was reported that BAE had replaced BPPA with lobbying firm Portland PR after staging a six-way pitch for the account, with Fleishman-Hillard (F-H) one of three latterly in the running.[22]

Public Private Partnerships

In 2001, Bell Pottinger picked up an account for the Public Private Partnership Forum, the consortium representing the largest organisations involved in pitching for Government contracts. Because of opposition to and controversy surrounding the London Underground PPP, the Forum felt it "better to concentrate our work on reminding people of the benefits of PPP as a whole." Bell Pottinger Public Affairs was hired to lobby both central government and opposition groups including trade unions. [23]

Key Staff

  • Peter Bingle: [Former] chairman of BPPA until 2012, Bingle is a former Conservative councillor who has close personal links with MP Nick Brown; they are said to frequently attend the opera together[24]. Brown is a former agriculture minister and a leading backbench ally of Gordon Brown. Nick Brown, godfather to one of Mr Bingle's children, has a “reputation as a political fixer". [25] He also attended a client dinner hosted by BPPA at Labour's 2006 conference. [26]
  • David Hill: Hill rejoined Bell Pottinger as Director for the Group in September 2007 having served four years as Tony Blair’s director of communications (he replaced Alastair Campbell in 2003) [27] He is Director for the Bell Pottinger Group based in The Collective, "where senior Bell Pottinger employees share clients with 'cross-group requirements'” [28]. Prior to becoming Tony Blair's right hand man, Hill spent five years as MD of Bell Pottinger Good Relations, another Bell Pottinger company. During this time Hill returned to the Labour Party HQ at Millbank on “unpaid leave” from Good Relations, as a senior press spokesman for the 2001 election campaign. Prior to that he was director of communications for the Labour Party from 1991 to 1999. [29] His long-term partner is Hilary Coffman, a press officer at Downing Street. [30]
  • David Sowells MD at BPPA, Sowells was a member of the Labour Party’s economic secretariat for three years in opposition. His past clients include McDonald's, Vickers, 3i, Camelot and BNFL. [31] [32]
  • Neil Stockley Director at BPPA since January 2002, according to its website, Stockley's specialist area is energy and environment policy. He is a former Director of Policy for the Liberal Democrats, a member of the party’s Federal Policy Committee and in 2007 chaired the working group that developed a new climate change policy for the Liberal Democrats. [33]
  • Jonathan Caine Caine joined BPPA as a Director in March 2007 after spending 8½ years as an assistant director of the Conservative Research Department, based at Conservative Campaign Headquarters in Westminster. According to its website, at various times, hewas the principal adviser to successive Leaders of the Opposition and members of the shadow cabinet on Constitutional Affairs, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. He also served as a member of William Hague’s PMQ preparation and speechwriting teams. From 1991-95 he was special adviser to two successive Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, and from 1989-90 a member of Mrs Thatcher’s Political Office in 10 Downing Street. He worked alongside David Cameron in the Conservative Research Department from 1988-91 and as a fellow special adviser from 1992-95. [34]
  • Luke Chauveau According to BPPA's Chauveau’s sector specialism is the defence industry. He received the BAE Chairman’s Award for improving BAE Systems’ reputation within Government and has advised firms on procurement projects with the Ministry of Defence, including The Future Defence Supply Chain Initiative. He joined BPPA in 2001 having previously been PR manager for the chairman of Press Complaints Commission, Lord Wakeham. Chauveau started his career in public affairs at Westminster Strategy then as a researcher at Conservative Central Office. [35]

Contact information

Bell Pottinger Public Affairs
6th Floor, Holborn Gate
330 High Holborn
London WC1V 7QC
Phone 020 7861 2400
Fax: 020 7861 2401
http://www.bppa.co.uk

External resources

  • Press Complaints Commission, Complainant Name: Bell Pottinger Group Clauses Noted: 10 Publication: The Independent, Date Published: 26/07/2012

References

  1. ↑ Bell Pottinger Public Affairs website
  2. ↑ Public Administration Select Committee inquiry into lobbying 2007-08.
  3. ↑ Tamasin Cave, "The public has no right to know", Spinwatch, 18 March 2008.
  4. ↑ Peter Bingle, "Now is the time to pull together and salvage our reputation", PR Week, 06 September 2007.
  5. ↑ House of Commons, Public Administration Select Committee, Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall First Report of Session 2008–09 Volume II, accessed 18th December 2011
  6. ↑ House of Commons, Public Administration Select Committee, Lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall First Report of Session 2008–09 Volume II, accessed 18th December 2011
  7. ↑ Bell Pottinger Public Affairs, Brown Book
  8. ↑ Francis Elliott, Independent on Sunday, "Revealed: How £5,000 buys the secrets of Brown's dream team", 18 February 2007.
  9. ↑ Ravi Chandiramani, "BPPA under fire over 'cash for access'," PR Week UK (sub req'd), 28 Sep 2006.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Melanie Newman, PR uncovered: Top lobbyists boast of how they influence the PM, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 5 December 2011
  11. ↑ David Singleton, Lobbying row as PRCA withdraws from the UK Public Affairs Council, prweek.com, 09 December 2011, accessed 12 Dec 2011
  12. ↑ Melanie Newman, Oliver Wright, 'Caught on camera: top lobbyists boasting how they influence the PM', Independent, 6 December 2011
  13. ↑ Independent's Bell Pottinger stories have had 'no impact', says Bell, PR week, 09 March 2012, accessed 14 March 2012
  14. ↑ Josh Halliday, PCC dismisses Bell Pottinger complaint over secret filming for Independent, theguardian.com, Thursday 26 July 2012 14.05 BST
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 APPC Register 1 March - 31 May 2013
  16. ↑ PRCA register, to Nov 2011
  17. ↑ PCRA, PRCA Public Affairs Register – December 2010 to February 2011 accessed 7th December 2011
  18. ↑ [Ian Burrell, “Lord Bell Set To Promote Democracy In New Iraq”, The Independent, March 13, 2004, p11
  19. ↑ [1]
  20. ↑ BAE Systems press release, 15 Oct 2004
  21. ↑ 'National interest' halts arms corruption inquiry, David Leigh and Rob Evans, The Guardian, 15 December 2006
  22. ↑ PAN News, April 2011, pdf version.
  23. ↑ Joe Lepper, "PPP companies move to step up lobbying efforts", PR Week UK (subscription required), 03 August 2001.
  24. ↑ Profile, Peter Bingle, Pr Week, April 2008
  25. ↑ The Brown Book, BPPA publication, 2007.
  26. ↑ Francis Elliott, "Revealed: How £5,000 buys the secrets of Brown's dream team", Independent on Sunday, 18 February 2007
  27. ↑ Chime Communications press release, 12 September 2007.
  28. ↑ Bell Pottinger 'Collective']
  29. ↑ Mark Hollingsworth, An infestation of lobbyists, The Guardian, 06 June 2001.
  30. ↑ BBC profile on Hill, 29 August 2003
  31. ↑ BPPA website, accessed December 2007
  32. ↑ Bell Pottinger Public Affairs, David Sowells
  33. ↑ Bell Pottinger Public Affairs, Neil Stockley
  34. ↑ Bell Pottinger Public Affairs, Jonathan Caine
  35. ↑ Bell Pottinger Public Affairs, Luke Chauveau

External links

Retrieved from "https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Bell_Pottinger_Public_Affairs&oldid=191935"