Bell Pottinger accused of orchestrating 'fake news'

by **Jill Havern** 03.09.17 11:22

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4847540/Battle-spin-doctors-Bell-Pottinger-PR-titan-quits.html

"And it is a debacle that has pitted Lord Bell, the wily elder statesman of the PR world, against Henderson, his one-time protege turned nemesis.
While Bell, 75, is famed for his willingness to act for even the most notorious dictators and pariahs, including the late General Pinochet of Chile, Henderson has had a more conventional career concentrating on City spin-doctoring.

Henderson, 52, and Heather found themselves at the centre of the storm after the firm was accused of helping orchestrate a ‘fake news’ campaign on behalf of the Guptas, one of the country’s most powerful business dynasties.

This included sexual slurs against journalists, rent-a-crowd protests and paying Twitter users to spread propaganda. Henderson, while saying much of what has been alleged is not true, admitted that enough of it was well founded to cause ‘deep concern’.

by **sharonl** 03.09.17 16:34

And this is the company to whom the McCanns paid £500,000 to keep them on the front pages.

by Guest 03.09.17 17:34

paying Twitter users to spread propaganda

What type of propaganda?

How about paying social media users to post outrageous "troll" stuff that makes people with serious concerns look like nutters by association.

The more people who know how dirty the game is the better.

by MayMuse 03.09.17 18:34

Only Bell Pottinger?........nah.....I'm sure much more could be "accused"?
Dirty game indeed...

by **sharonl** 03.09.17 18:53

So our dummy friends and the Twitter trolls that have been abusing us and making up ridiculous stories to oppose our findings, could well have been paid by Bell Pottinger on behalf of their clients who, at the very least, paid them £500,000 to keep them in the press.

by Nina 03.09.17 20:35

sharonl wrote:So our dummy friends and the Twitter trolls that have been abusing us and making up ridiculous stories to oppose our findings, could well have been paid by Bell Pottinger on behalf of their clients who, at the very least, paid them £500,000 to keep them in the press.

Maybe not paid but being part of a cult.

by worriedmum 03.09.17 22:01

sharonl wrote:And this is the company to whom the McCanns paid £500,000 to keep them on the front pages.

And then complained about intrusion of privacy...

by MayMuse 04.09.17 0:19

worriedmum wrote:
sharonl wrote:And this is the company to whom the McCanns paid £500,000 to keep them on the front pages.
And then complained about intrusion of privacy...

And then sued for £££ .....?

by Rogue-a-Tory 04.09.17 10:54

Nina wrote:
sharonl wrote:So our dummy friends and the Twitter trolls that have been abusing us and making up ridiculous stories to oppose our findings, could well have been paid by Bell Pottinger on behalf of their clients who, at the very least, paid them £500,000 to keep them in the press.
Maybe not paid but being part of a cult.

I believe they've paid their trolls over most of the years, either through the fund or more likely indirectly through agencies. There's no other way that can account for the unwavering loyalty of these people other than they are all part of the same dirty game.

by Nina 04.09.17 17:37

Rogue-a-Tory wrote:
Nina wrote:
sharonl wrote:So our dummy friends and the Twitter trolls that have been abusing us and making up ridiculous stories to oppose our findings, could well have been paid by Bell Pottinger on behalf of their clients who, at the very least, paid them £500,000 to keep them in the press.
Maybe not paid but being part of a cult.
I believe they've paid their trolls over most of the years, either through the fund or more likely indirectly through agencies. There's no other way that can account for the unwavering loyalty of these people other than they are all part of the same dirty game.

They didn't pay me when I was part of a group trying to get videos taken off YouTube.
I was a member of the very first group supporting the parents and we had prayers most evenings, and lit candles on another web site. No payment at all, just lots of fervour.

by **sharonl** 04.09.17 19:18

Nina wrote:
Rogue-a-Tory wrote:
Nina wrote:
sharonl wrote:So our dummy friends and the Twitter trolls that have been abusing us and making up ridiculous stories to oppose our findings, could well have been paid by Bell Pottinger on behalf of their clients who, at the very least, paid them £500,000 to keep them in the press.
Maybe not paid but being part of a cult.
I believe they've paid their trolls over most of the years, either through the fund or more likely indirectly through agencies. There's no other way that can account for the unwavering loyalty of these people other than they are all part of the same dirty game.
They didn't pay me when I was part of a group trying to get videos taken off YouTube.
I was a member of the very first group supporting the parents and we had prayers most evenings, and lit candles on another web site. No payment at all, just lots of fervour.

We know what they are up too because, mentioning no names here, one truth seeker turned dummy friend was actually engaged in a series of late night calls with Clarence Mitchell who she was planning to meet in a London café. I heard this directly from her shortly before she turned.

by sallypelt 04.09.17 20:00

Bell Pottinger expelled from trade body for South African campaign

Bell Pottinger has been expelled from the UK public relations trade body for its work on a controversial contract in South Africa.
It is the first time that the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has ejected a PR firm as prominent as Bell Pottinger.
PRCA director-general Francis Ingham said it was "highly questionable" whether the firm would survive.
Bell Pottinger said it "accepts that there are lessons need to be learned".
The PR firm's work on a campaign for Oakbay Capital, a South African company owned by the wealthy Gupta family, had "incited racial hatred" and was "absolutely unthinkable", Mr Ingham said.

He expected more clients to abandon Bell Pottinger following the sanction.
South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance complained to the PRCA, accusing Bell Pottinger of a "hateful and divisive campaign to divide South Africa along the lines of race".
Listen: Bell Pottinger's role in South African politics
The campaign of emphasising the power of white-owned businesses and used the #WhiteMonopolyCapital hashtag.
South African President Jacob Zuma has faced corruption allegations and suspicion over his ties with the Guptas. Mr Zuma and the Guptas have consistently denied all allegations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41151361

by Grande Finale 05.09.17 1:54

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-41156101/bell-pottinger-founder-almost-certainly-curtains-for-pr-firm

Bell Pottinger founder: 'Almost certainly curtains' for PR firm
Lord Bell, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, has told BBC Newsnight it is unlikely that the PR firm he founded will survive.
Bell Pottinger has been expelled from the UK public relations trade body after it worked on a controversial contract in South Africa which led to accusations of inciting racial hatred.

Maybe THEY need to hire a proper PR Co. ? ..... Pinkie ?

by Ray_Sneek 05.09.17 9:29

Is the impending downfall of Bell Pottinger not one more example of the bunch of out-and-out crooks who have banded together to support the McCanns?

£500,000 was paid to these crooks, Bell Pottinger - allegedly by the McCanns, but probably paid for by the willing donations of pensioners and children and others who donated their pensions, pocket money etc.

Quick off the blocks to support the McCanns was Sir Phillip Green with his ostentatious private jet - whilst at the same time he was conspiring to deprive his hard-working staff of their rightful pensions, in order to pay for one of the most expensive yachts ever built in world history.

Child sexual abuser Sir Clement Freud was another to come to their aid, with his scorn of the skills of cadaver dogs.

Another backer was Carter-Ruck, the firm that represented criminal companies like Trafigura and the dishonest Church of Scientology, and who recently represented the criminal company OneCoin against investigative journalist Andrew Penman, who exposed OneCoin as a Ponzi scheme.

Then there are criminals like Kevin Halligen and Antonio Giminez Raso, who both spent four years in jail for their crimes after the McCanns employed them via Brian Kennedy, an entrepreneur noted for his sharp business practice. It was he who employed and instructed these men and also employed that bunch of crooks, Metodo 3.

Talking of sharp business practices, there is also the McCanns' co-ordinating lawyer, Edward Smethurst.

Surely Bell Pottinger's fall from grace is another case of 'The Curse of the McCanns', which will one day bring down every single one of those who have actively supported them?

by Doug D 05.09.17 9:36

From Paul Rees on the 'Controversy' site:

Bell Pottinger accused of orchestrating 'fake news' 21271082_1661760100554690_6360795192868976078_n

The full slogan says 'Better Reputations, Better Results'.

PRCA has finally drawn a line under the level of acceptable practice, presumably concerned that the whole industry is going to get dragged down with disrepute charges, with companies wanting to distance themselves from any associations with the whole industry.

Just googling the BP news headlines is quite staggering.

by **Jill Havern** 05.09.17 10:32

Stoking racial tensions, between British and Portuguese ? ? ?

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/bell-pottinger-expelled-from-pr-trade-body-following-controversial-south-african-campaign/ar-AArhfT1?li=BBoPRmx&ocid=mailsignout

by sar 05.09.17 11:29

......Bell Pottinger founder: 'Almost certainly curtains' for PR firm....... sure, till they wind up shafting creditors and set up as Pottinger Bell, or PB Communications Ltd, or Pottinger Publicity Plc, etc etc etc (insert-off-the-shelf Limited Co name / Plc here) Welcome to Britain and our model of doing business. Why do we act surprised when aid is "siphoned off" by some "tin pot dictator" or corruption occurs in some far flung corner of the ~~empire~~ (oops!) globe blah blah.... when we taught the world how to do it!!!

by Rogue-a-Tory 05.09.17 11:43

sallypelt wrote:Bell Pottinger expelled from trade body for South African campaign

Bell Pottinger has been expelled from the UK public relations trade body for its work on a controversial contract in South Africa.
It is the first time that the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has ejected a PR firm as prominent as Bell Pottinger.
PRCA director-general Francis Ingham said it was "highly questionable" whether the firm would survive.
Bell Pottinger said it "accepts that there are lessons need to be learned".
The PR firm's work on a campaign for Oakbay Capital, a South African company owned by the wealthy Gupta family, had "incited racial hatred" and was "absolutely unthinkable", Mr Ingham said.

He expected more clients to abandon Bell Pottinger following the sanction.
South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance complained to the PRCA, accusing Bell Pottinger of a "hateful and divisive campaign to divide South Africa along the lines of race".
Listen: Bell Pottinger's role in South African politics
The campaign of emphasising the power of white-owned businesses and used the #WhiteMonopolyCapital hashtag.
South African President Jacob Zuma has faced corruption allegations and suspicion over his ties with the Guptas. Mr Zuma and the Guptas have consistently denied all allegations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41151361

Expelled from the UK PR trade body - well that's telling them. Maybe the UN could impose similar draconian sanctions upon North Korea

by **Jill Havern** 06.09.17 10:24

Bell Pottinger puts itself up for sale

Bell Pottinger accused of orchestrating 'fake news' _97677140_hi041471842

Bell Pottinger is based in Holborn, central London

Bell Pottinger has confirmed that it is putting itself up for sale.

A spokesman said: "I can confirm that we have appointed [accountants] BDO to look at the options for the business moving forward."
The PR firm has seen a loss of clients since being expelled from the industry trade body for a campaign stirring racial divisions in South Africa.

Banking giant HSBC is among the companies to have stopped using Bell Pottinger since the scandal emerged.

Investment firm Investec and luxury goods company Richemont have also severed links with the company, which had its membership of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) terminated.

The PR firm was found to have breached two clauses of the PRCA's professional charter and two clauses of its public affairs and lobbying code of conduct.

It followed an advertising campaign which emphasised the power of white-owned businesses in South Africa.

BDO will try to find a buyer for the company, which employs 250 people across its offices in London, Asia and the Middle East.

Chief executive James Henderson resigned on Sunday and the company said it would move quickly to appoint his replacement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41171577

by Liz Eagles 06.09.17 10:51

Here is a link I came across whilst reading Twitter this morning -

"The Appalling Pottingers'

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/09/the-appalling-pottingers/

- an interesting read indeed.

by Liz Eagles 06.09.17 13:17

Bell Pottinger now expelled from a UK PR trade body...what does that mean exactly?

I recall a private email to someone on the forum saying that behind every non-white crime there is a white man. The outrage of a PR body means little. Loss of revenue from Bell Pottinger only places (already lined up and in place) other PR companies who are champing at the bit to do the same thing as Bell Pottinger have always done.

Depressing isn't it!

by JRP 06.09.17 13:27

Bell Pottinger is made up of a number of PR people, and if Bell Pottinger cease to exist, then all those ex-employees will filter into existing or new PR businesses, so the the problem isn't solved, it's just disbursed far and wide.

by Liz Eagles 06.09.17 13:32

JRP wrote:Bell Pottinger is made up of a number of PR people, and if Bell Pottinger cease to exist, then all those ex-employees will filter into existing or new PR businesses, so the the problem isn't solved, it's just disbursed far and wide.

Yep.

by JRP 06.09.17 13:40

The McCann's were very unlucky in their choices of companies who they chose to represent them in various ways, the private eye companies and now this lot. Unfortunate beyond belief. If only trusted traders had been around back then.

by Mirage 06.09.17 14:03

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3818482/PR-firm-set-Margaret-Thatcher-s-spin-doctor-ran-secret-416m-propaganda-operation-Iraq-war-writing-soap-operas-tracking-al-Qaeda-terrorists-using-fake-jihad-films.html

Astonishing stuff this, hidden away in the Daily Mail last October with a paltry 18 comments. And all to track IP addresses, apparently!

There's a lot more to come out about this outfit I should imagine. No wonder Bell looked discombobulated on Newsnight.