Latest news with #PennyMordaunt
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Penny Mordaunt joins British American Tobacco
Former Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt is taking up a part-time paid role with British American Tobacco as a member of its "transformation advisory board". Details of the appointment were published on the website of Acoba, the watchdog that provides advice on jobs politicians accept after they leave government. In a letter to Acoba, British American Tobacco said Mordaunt would be "asked to contribute her insights on the topics of tobacco harm reduction". Mordaunt told the watchdog the role would also involve testing the company's strategy "to reduce its combustible products i.e. cigarettes". British American Tobacco has produced some of the world's most famous cigarette brands including Lucky Strike and Rothmans, but in recent years has begun selling vapes. The company says it wants to build "a smokeless world" by moving smokers to smokeless alternatives. It aims to become a "predominantly" smokeless business by 2035. A very quick guide to Penny Mordaunt Tobacco giant sees sunset for US cigarette business How many people still smoke in the UK? All former ministers are expected to seek advice from Acoba (the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments) on any job they want to take up two years after leaving government. The committee considers whether the job could be seen as a reward from a prospective employer for favourable decisions made by the politician when they were in power. It also looks at whether the former minister could have access to insider information. If the committee has concerns, it can advise the politician to delay taking up the job or avoid particular activities while in the role. In its advice letter to Mordaunt, Acoba said the risk that her role with British American Tobacco could be seen as "a reward for your decisions in office" was "limited". It added that Mordaunt had not had access to specific information that would "offer an unfair advantage to British American Tobacco". "It is also relevant that you have been out of office for five months, creating a gap between your access to information in government and your role with British American Tobacco," it added. Acoba noted that Mordaunt had said she would not lobby for the firm, but it advised her to have "no direct engagement with government on behalf of the company as to do so would raise significant risks under the government's rules". During his last months as prime minister, former Tory PM Rishi Sunak introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which would have made it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009. Although Sunak was keen to push the legislation through, many of his Conservative MPs had doubts. Mordaunt herself did not vote on the bill when it came to Parliament. Labour backed the proposals, and since coming into government has reintroduced a similar bill to Parliament. Mordaunt is not the first politician to work for British American Tobacco. After losing the 1997 Tory leadership election, former chancellor Ken Clarke took up a deputy chairmanship with the company. During her time in government, Mordaunt served as a minister in several departments, including the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence. She stood in the 2022 Conservative Party leadership race, but was eliminated in the penultimate round of the contest that was ultimately won by Liz Truss. Had she not lost her seat in Portsmouth North in 2024, she would have been a potential contender to lead her party in opposition. In addition to taking a role with British American Tobacco, Mordaunt is planning to produce and appear in a series of short films about Ukraine, entitled "Do Not Look Away". She is also taking a paid role with Sub Sea Craft Limited, a Portsmouth-based engineering company that produces maritime technology. Mordaunt was approached for comment.
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ex-minister Penny Mordaunt joins British American Tobacco
Former Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt is taking up a part-time paid role with British American Tobacco as a member of its "transformation advisory board". Details of the appointment were published on the website of Acoba, the watchdog that provides advice on jobs politicians accept after they leave a letter to Acoba, British American Tobacco said Mordaunt would be "asked to contribute her insights on the topics of tobacco harm reduction".Mordaunt told the watchdog the role would also involve testing the company's strategy "to reduce its combustible products i.e. cigarettes". British American Tobacco has produced some of the world's most famous cigarette brands including Lucky Strike and Rothmans, but in recent years has begun selling company says it wants to build "a smokeless world" by moving smokers to smokeless alternatives. It aims to become a "predominantly" smokeless business by 2035. All former ministers are expected to seek advice from Acoba (the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments) on any job they want to take up two years after leaving government. The committee considers whether the job could be seen as a reward from a prospective employer for favourable decisions made by the politician when they were in power. It also looks at whether the former minister could have access to insider information. If the committee has concerns, it can advise the politician to delay taking up the job or avoid particular activities while in the role. In its advice letter to Mordaunt, Acoba said the risk that her role with British American Tobacco could be seen as "a reward for your decisions in office" was "limited". It added that Mordaunt had not had access to specific information that would "offer an unfair advantage to British American Tobacco". "It is also relevant that you have been out of office for five months, creating a gap between your access to information in government and your role with British American Tobacco," it noted that Mordaunt had said she would not lobby for the firm, but it advised her to have "no direct engagement with government on behalf of the company as to do so would raise significant risks under the government's rules". During his last months as prime minister, former Tory PM Rishi Sunak introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which would have made it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009. Although Sunak was keen to push the legislation through, many of his Conservative MPs had doubts. Mordaunt herself did not vote on the bill when it came to Parliament. Labour backed the proposals, and since coming into government has reintroduced a similar bill to Parliament. Mordaunt is not the first politician to work for British American Tobacco. After losing the 1997 Tory leadership election, former chancellor Ken Clarke took up a deputy chairmanship with the company. During her time in government, Mordaunt served as a minister in several departments, including the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence. She stood in the 2022 Conservative Party leadership race, but was eliminated in the penultimate round of the contest that was ultimately won by Liz she not lost her seat in Portsmouth North in 2024, she would have been a potential contender to lead her party in addition to taking a role with British American Tobacco, Mordaunt is planning to produce and appear in a series of short films about Ukraine, entitled "Do Not Look Away". She is also taking a paid role with Sub Sea Craft Limited, a Portsmouth-based engineering company that produces maritime technology. Mordaunt was approached for comment.
The Independent
10-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Stop Brexit Man made Braverman's then-chief of staff ‘feel a victim', court told
Suella Braverman's former chief of staff felt 'exhausted' and 'harassed' by an activist known as Stop Brexit Man, who regularly plays music outside Parliament, a court has heard. Steve Bray, 56, allegedly flouted a police ban by playing anti-Conservative and anti-Brexit edits of The Muppet Show and Darth Vader's theme tunes through amplifiers on March 20 last year. He was protesting before then-PM Rishi Sunak arrived for Prime Minister's Questions. PMQs is the target of his demonstrations each week, except during Parliamentary recess, City of London Magistrates' Court heard on Thursday. Police approached Bray on the traffic island at about 11.20am and said he was prohibited from playing the amplifiers in the controlled area, the court heard. The music resumed intermittently and shortly after 12.30pm officers seized the speakers, the court was told. An office manager to then-Conservative MP Anna Firth told the court: 'Wednesday is always the worst day of the week because we knew what we were were going to be subjected to.' After several witnesses described the negative impact of Bray's music, heard as high as the sixth floor in nearby buildings, the defendant apologised. He later told Deputy District Judge Anthony Woodcock: 'It's a balancing act, judge, sometimes you get it wrong, but I hope I get it right.' The chief of staff for Mrs Braverman, the former home secretary, said she would arrive early 'so I had a little period of time which was quite peaceful'. Susan Colson said her job was 'quite complex', adding: 'You've got to concentrate, you've got to think what you are doing, so I did quite well until about 10 o'clock,' which was roughly when Bray would turn on the music. 'You couldn't ignore it' and 'really I could only stand it for about two or three hours or so', she said. 'By the time it came to lunchtime I was quite exhausted, and intimidated and harassed, and I just wanted to go home.' She continued: 'You feel a real victim of this, and that if this was occurring outside a shop or someone's home they would surely be able to do something about it quite quickly.' Later in evidence, she said: 'Even from the sixth floor I could hear abuse – I could hear in particular quite often an attack on Tories. 'And there were times when I heard him say the Tories are sex pests, and I just thought, as a person in my sixties, I just felt this was ludicrous that I have to listen to this, and I felt it personally.' She questioned how then-leader of the House Penny Mordaunt 'could sustain working in a sensitive job listening to you for hours and hours. I couldn't believe how she could do that'. Mrs Colson frowned after Bray replied: 'I had some good chats with Penny Mordaunt, she was very friendly.' She told the court she was 'sure' the Speaker of the House (Sir Lindsay Hoyle) was 'quite fed up of talking about this', adding 'you had to pluck up the courage' to raise it. 'This is someone who has crossed the line in terms of fanaticism, or possible fixation, and why should we be subjected to this?' During cross-examination, Bray asked if Mrs Colson has ever protested. She paused to think and said: 'Only once did I join a rally, in about the 1970s, about the closure of the MG factory.' Asked if it was noisy, she said: 'I don't remember that, I don't remember that, no. It was a long time ago.' Bray said: 'Maybe you could come join us,' and she said: 'No.' During cross-examination he told her: 'I would like to say sorry if you felt intimidated, that was never our intention.' He said he only made the 'Tories are sex pests' comment when there were allegations that party members had committed 'sexual misdemeanours'. He also said 'sound and vision' is a key part of protest. The regular anti-Brexit demonstration has since been moved outside the controlled area, 10 metres away from the traffic island. Bray said they would have relocated there at the time had officers asked them to do so. As the trial neared the end, Bray played from his laptop a song often played in Westminster, titled Brexit Tragedy and set to the tune of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine. The lyrics said: 'So they threw us off a cliff, in the reddest bus you've ever seen, and the country fell apart, in a Brexiting tragedy. 'We all live in a Brexit tragedy, a Brexit tragedy, we all live in a Brexit tragedy, a Brexit tragedy.' That portion of the track ended with 'and the band begins to play' before cutting to the chorus of Kaiser Chiefs' I Predict A Riot. The prosecution alleges his music played in total for 40 minutes on March 20. Bray, from Port Talbot, South Wales, has denied failing without reasonable excuse to comply with a direction given under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 're prohibited activities in Parliament Square'. The defendant said he has never previously been arrested or charged for protesting. The judge will give his verdict on April 14 at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
The Guardian
10-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Penny Mordaunt takes job advising one of the world's largest tobacco firms
Penny Mordaunt has taken on a new job advising one of the world's biggest tobacco companies on 'harm reduction'. The former Conservative leadership contender, who served in cabinet roles from defence secretary to leader of the House of Commons, will advise the British American Tobacco's 'transformation advisory group' in a paid role, after losing her seat in parliament last year. The former MP abstained on a vote on Rishi Sunak's gradual smoking ban in the early stages of the bill last year, and was in charge of the government's legislative programme when the proposed law did not make it through parliament before the election. Labour had urged the government to defy convention and push through the tobacco and vapes bill even though it was in its early stages when the election was called. It was subsequently brought forward by Labour. Mordaunt's new job was revealed by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which said she should not to lobby the government for two years after leaving office or advise on any public contracts. In its analysis, it said: 'British American Tobacco has a significant interest in government policy and regulation and has resources focused on influencing government decisions – for example lobbying for a reduction in taxes for cigarettes, legislation on vaping and the prevention of counterfeit goods.' The committee said there were only limited risks associated with Mordaunt's access to information that could help British American Tobacco given the change of government and amount of time that had passed. However, it added: 'Whilst you said you will not lobby, there is a risk your former role as a cabinet minister will be seen to offer British American Tobacco unfair access to and influence within government. Therefore, the committee's advice is that you should have no direct engagement with government on behalf of the company, as to do so would raise significant risks under the government's rules.' Anti-smoking campaigners view the claims of tobacco companies that they are working on harm reduction with scepticism given their continued reliance on selling cigarettes. Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), said: 'While BAT is making 80% of its revenue for the sale of combusted tobacco it is very difficult to see that they are serious in their commitment to reduce the harm from tobacco. The only way to avoid the lethal impact of smoking is not to do it at all, so BAT's share price would be in serious trouble were the smokers of the world able to completely stop overnight. 'They rely, as they ever have, on the fact that they sell a highly addictive product which means that, while many of their customers might want to quit, many never will before smoking kills them.' It is unusual in recent years for former ministers to work for tobacco companies, and several MPs have previously been criticised for taking hospitality from the industry. Ken Clarke, the Conservative former chancellor and health secretary, worked for British American Tobacco from 1998 to 2007. Asked about Mordaunt's appointment, Kingsley Wheaton, the chief corporate officer at BAT, said: 'BAT have launched a manifesto for change … it is founded on the very best tobacco harm reduction (THR) thinking and science. 'To accelerate that ambition, we understand alternative viewpoints that challenge our thinking will maximise success. This THR advisory board is designed to do just that.' Mordaunt was approached for comment.
The Independent
09-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Penny Mordaunt urges UK to boost defence spending to counter Russia's threat
Penny Mordaunt said the UK is "still holding back on defence spending" and needs to go further in order to deter Russia when she appeared on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on 9 March. Asked by host Laura Kuenssberg if the West had underestimated Russia for a long time, the former Defence Secretary said, 'I always argued that we need to be doing more to bolster our defences." 'We're still holding back on defence spending. It will be a hard price to pay, but if we don't do this now, the price we will pay in years to come will be unbearable,' Ms Mordaunt added.
