Former Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt has come under fire after accepting a paid consultancy role with British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the world’s largest tobacco firms — a move described by critics as incompatible with public health responsibilities.
Mordaunt, who previously held ministerial roles in health, work, and disability, is now advising BAT’s newly formed Tobacco Harm Reduction Advisory Group, offering insight into regulatory strategy, stakeholder communications, and corporate transformation. Her appointment was disclosed in a letter to Acoba (Advisory Committee on Business Appointments), which oversees the post-government roles of former ministers and senior officials.
The committee approved the appointment with conditions, including a two-year lobbying ban and a prohibition on using privileged information gained in office.
However, her decision to take on the role has sparked widespread criticism, particularly given her abstention from voting on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which proposed a landmark generational ban on tobacco sales. The bill was a centrepiece of the government’s health reforms and had cross-party backing.
Hazel Cheeseman, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: “Penny Mordaunt is joining a company that makes 80 per cent of its income from lethal combusted tobacco. While it talks up its approach to ‘harm reduction’, in countries where it can promote its cigarettes, it does. The British public do not trust tobacco companies — and I doubt they will be impressed by a former politician providing it highly-paid advice.”
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