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Former Conservative cabinet member Penny Mordaunt has accepted a part-time paid position with British American Tobacco, where she will join its transformation advisory board.
The particulars of her appointment were disclosed in a statement on the Acoba website, the body responsible for overseeing and advising on appointments taken up by politicians after leaving public office.
In correspondence with Acoba, British American Tobacco indicated that Mordaunt’s role will involve providing her expertise on tobacco harm reduction strategies.
Mordaunt clarified in her communication that her responsibilities would also include assessing the company’s strategies aimed at transitioning away from combustible tobacco products, including cigarettes.
While British American Tobacco is well-known for producing renowned cigarette brands such as Lucky Strike and Rothmans, the company has progressively ventured into the market for vaping products in recent years.
With an ambition to create “a smokeless world,” British American Tobacco is striving to transition to a “predominantly” smokeless operation by 2035.
As a rule, all former ministers are required to seek guidance from Acoba regarding any employment they wish to pursue within two years of leaving government positions. This requirement aims to ensure that there are no unethical ties between former roles and new positions that could represent a conflict of interest.
The committee reviews job offers to assess whether they might be perceived as rewards for favorable decisions made during the politician’s term. It also evaluates any potential access to insider information that could provide an advantage in the new role.
If Acoba identifies any concerns, it may recommend that the former official delay accepting the position or refrain from specific activities within that role.
In its advisory communication to Mordaunt, Acoba concluded that the likelihood of her position with British American Tobacco being perceived as a reward for her actions while in office was minimal. They noted that she had not been privy to particular information that could unfairly benefit the company.
Furthermore, Acoba mentioned the five-month interval since she left office, establishing a clear timeline between her governmental access to information and her new assignment.
The committee noted that Mordaunt pledged not to engage in lobbying for the company, but it advised her to prohibit any direct interaction with government on behalf of British American Tobacco, citing the substantial risks involved under government protocols.
During his final months in office, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, aimed at banning tobacco sales to individuals born after January 1, 2009. Despite Sunak’s enthusiasm to advance this legislation, apprehensions existed among his Conservative colleagues, and Mordaunt herself abstained from voting on the bill during its parliamentary discussion.
The Labour Party supported the bills, and now that they are in government, they have reintroduced similar legislation in Parliament.
Mordaunt is not an isolated case; former Chancellor Ken Clarke took on a deputy chair role at British American Tobacco after his defeat in the 1997 Tory leadership election.
Throughout her career in government, Mordaunt has served in several ministerial posts, including roles in the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence. She participated in the 2022 Conservative Party leadership contest, where her campaign ended in the second-to-last round, ultimately won by Liz Truss.
If Mordaunt had not lost her seat in Portsmouth North in 2024, she might have been a candidate to lead her party from the opposition bench.
In addition to her affiliation with British American Tobacco, Mordaunt is also producing and featuring in a series of short films related to Ukraine, titled “Do Not Look Away.” Moreover, she has accepted a compensated position with Sub Sea Craft Limited, a Portsmouth-based engineering firm specializing in maritime technologies.
Mordaunt has not publicly commented on her new roles.
Source
www.bbc.com