Lord Bell Clearly Rattled By The Really Ethical PR Agency

In an astonishing outburst in a letter to PR Week magazine, Lord Bell, whose company Bell Pottinger has come under increasing scrutiny for it's links with Middle-Eastern dictatorships, has played the 'i-do-loads-of-work-for-charity' card in a desperate attempt to divert attention from Bell Pottinger's less-than-ethical record.

Bell Pottinger was exposed last month by The Really Ethical PR Agency for it's links with the regime in Bahrain.

Rupert Read (personally targeted by Lord Bell in his ill-judged PR Week attack), whose protest regarding Bell-Pottinger's contract with Bahrain outside their High Holborn office on 25 February sparked the huge media interest in Lord Bell's company said:

"If Bell Pottinger want to become the story, then they should continue as they are doing, namely spinning the unspinnable for bloodstained autocrats such as the Bahraini regime. But what PR firm really wants to become the story, and (therefore) to be subject to ongoing protests? Only a very stupid one.

"Furthermore, B-P really ought to abide by the CIPR Professional Code of Conduct. (After all all, Lord Bell is a fellow of the CIPR). Lord Bell said, after our 1st protest against him, 'We don't create the messages. We don't create the policies. We communicate them...' But under the heading 'Integrity' the CIPR code clearly requires 'Checking the reliability and accuracy of information before dissemination'. Sounds like Bell is not exactly doing his best to create a good public image - for himself or for PR.

"Perhaps that is why one B-P employee told us that he agreed with our protest, and why another has disclosed to us that there is active discussion within B-P about dropping the Bahrain brief."


Read Lord Bell's tantrum in full at www.prweek.com