THE TELEGRAPH: It's not a sinecure after all, being chairman of an international oil company. Nobody blames Carl-Henric Svanberg for taking the job at BP – it was an honour to be asked, and lack of experience in the oil business did not prevent his predecessor, Peter Sutherland, coping with his own crisis well enough.
Unfortunately, Svanberg's crisis is of a different order. The fall of chief executive John Browne when Sutherland was chairman was awkward for BP; the gusher in the gulf is potentially life-threatening.
Svanberg has failed to provide leadership and public support for his CEO, Tony Hayward. He will have to go. There seems little prospect of Hayward keeping his job, either.
The BP directors have dithered about the dividend so long that they have lost control; the fate of the payout is now effectively in the hands of the US president. Read on and comment >>> Neil Collins, Reuters Breakingviews | Wednesday, June 16, 2010
*It seems to be a case of, tell lies, will rise! The unrelenting rise of the Bliar! I have an alternative suggestion: Put the man out to graze? He’s past his sell-by date. – © Mark
