THE TELEGRAPH: BP chief executive Tony Hayward has come under fire in the US for taking a break from the Gulf oil clean-up to watch his boat sail in a yacht race off the Isle of Wight.
In a statement, BP described the outing as "a rare moment of private time" and said that "no matter where he is, he is always in touch with what is happening within BP" and can direct recovery operations if required.
But Mr Hayward, who has come under fire for verbal gaffes that some said suggested he was tone-deaf to the mood in America, was immediately criticised in the US.
Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff to President Barack Obama, said it was another “gaffe” by the BP chief executive. “Well, to quote Tony Hayward, he’s got his life back, as he would say,” he told ABC television. “And I think we can all conclude that Tony Hayward is not going to have a second career in PR consulting. This has just been part of a long line of PR gaffes and mistakes.”
He added: “There’s really a substance here that matters. That’s clearly a PR mistake, but he’s made a number of those mistakes. What’s important is: are we capping the well? Are we capturing the oil? Are we containing the cleanup? Are we filing the claims? Are we also cleaning up the mess? That’s what’s important.”
Richard Shelby, Republican senator for the Gulf state of Alabama, said during a tour of areas affected by the spill: "People here are not on their yachts today.
"I believe it's the height of arrogance. He is the chief executive of BP, he was testifying in Washington and now he's going out on his yacht in England. That yacht should be here, skimming and cleaning up the oil." >>> Philip Sherwell | Saturday, June 19, 2010
