Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick Worldwide Offices, Central Edinburgh taken on the Spinwatch G8 Spinwalk, 1 July 2005

The UK subsidiary of Weber Shandwick Worldwide

Pro-Nuclear Activity

Documents released under FOI, show that Weber Shandwick worked for BNFL in 2004 and 2005. In February 2006, the PR magazine O'Dwyer's also reported that Weber Shandwick was promoting BNFL's move to sell Westinghouse Electric to Japan's Toshiba for $5.4 billion. U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez had lobbied UK officials in favour of General Electric's bid for Westinghouse. ^[1]

Working Towards a Nuclear New Build

Since 2004, Weber Shandwick has been working with BNFL towards a new nuclear build in the UK. Part of this strategy has been to position nuclear as clean, safe, secure and climate-friendly (also see BNFL).

By the Autumn of 2004, a year before the government annnounced its "official review," Weber and BNFL were working on thier own one:

• "To secure from the review a meaningful commitment to a programme of nuclear new build, underpinned by commitments to:

• Provide the necessary market and fiscal framewrok for replacement build;

• Begin a programme or review which deals with the question of disposal of nuclear waste from repalcement build;

• Analyse and bring in the changes needed in the planning and regulation regime which to enable speedy decision-making and construction". ^[2]

We believe in the Cause

One question people ask is whether PR consultants are neutral on nuclear and just provide professional advice. One email from Weber to BNFL from September 2004 answers this. It said: "As you know, you have agroup of people over here who believe in this cause - we would love to do this work, and already feel excited about it". ^[3]

Principals

• Colin Byrne Chief Executive Officer, Weber Shandwick - UK - clients include BNFL
• David Yelland Senior Vice Chairman, Weber Shandwick - UK

clients

• Adobe
• Anglian Water
• BNFL
• Coca-Cola
• COLT Telccom
• Corporation of London
• Dixons
• Eli Lilly
• Euronext
• General Council of the Bar
• Intel
• Meat & Livestock Commission
• Merrill Lynch
• Nestle
• Panasonic
• Peugot
• Pfizer
• Scotts
• Siemens
• Unilever
• Visa
• Woolworths

Contact

Weber Shandwick

Fox Court

14 Gray's Inn Road

London, WC1X 8WS

United Kingdom

T: 44 20 7067 0000

External Resources

• ^ O'Dwyers PR Daily, "Weber Shandwick Gudes Nuke Deal", February 6, 2006. - requires subscription

• Antony Barnett, Ned Temko and Gaby Hinsliff, "Lobbying firm linked to academies row", The Observer, April 23, 2006

• ^ P. Simpson (2002)WSW Picks Up BNFL Public Affairs Work, PR Week, 22 April

• ^ NewBuild Proposal, Email from Weber Shandwick to BNFL, September 16, 2004.

Resources

• Weber Shandwick, UK Clients, PRCA Yearbook 2004