PM joins BAT

Well, I didn't see that coming.

Penny Mordaunt, former Leader of the House of Commons and, briefly, Secretary of State for Defence, has joined British American Tobacco to advise the company on its harm reduction programme.

It’s a huge coup for BAT and the tobacco control lobby is, predictably, raging. The funniest response so far, however, is a tweet (reproduced below) by Hazel Cheeseman, CEO of ASH.

Her predecessor Deborah Arnott was not known, publicly at least, for her sense of humour, but I’d like to think that Hazel had her tongue pressed firmly in her cheek when she posted it.

I particularly love the idea that the former Tory leadership candidate may have deliberately sported BAT’s corporate colours at the King’s Coronation.

One thing is certain. In America, a huge market for the company, she will be seen as quasi royalty after a stellar performance that had the Americans drooling (Why Penny Mordaunt was the star of King Charles III’s coronation).

The only person who could top her appointment would be Queen Camilla, a former smoker. Sadly, I don’t think Charles, or royal protocol, would allow it.

Penny, though, is probably a more media friendly fit. Either way, Chris Snowdon should add it to his Banter Era series of podcasts.

See: Penny Mordaunt joins British American Tobacco (BBC News) and Penny Mordaunt takes job advising one of world’s largest tobacco firms (Guardian)

Comments

[Pat Nurse]

I would have thought the anti smoker industry would be happy. After all, she is going to push alternatives to smoking which will, no doubt, lead to more attacks on smoking and more smokers being shoved under the bus in order for BAT to sell more of it's new preferred product.

Hazel cheeseman is just being silly.