Clarence Mitchell joins Swanswell

by **Tony Bennett** 29.09.12 8:41

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Clarence, it would seem, is in demand.

I've opened another thread about him, since he's also been appointed to a prominent role for the drugs & alcohol compamy-cum-charity, Swanswell:

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Former BBC presenter Clarence Mitchell joins Swanswell’s Board of Trustees

Swanswell’s further strengthened the team responsible for governance and strategic direction by welcoming former BBC presenter Clarence Mitchell to its Board of Trustees.

28 September 2012

The national charity, which wants to achieve a society free from problem alcohol and drug use, officially announced the appointment of the experienced journalist and media professional at its general meeting on 21 September 2012.

Clarence is currently the Managing Director and Practice Chair of UK Public Affairs at Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications firm. He’s also the official spokesman for Kate and Gerry McCann.

Clarence brings with him a wealth of experience. Previously, he was the Director of Media Strategy and Public Affairs at Lewis PR and was the Head of Election Media Monitoring for the Conservative Party in the run up to the 2010 General Election.

These positions followed a consultancy role at Freud Communications and two years as the Director of Her Majesty’s Government Media Monitoring Unit for the Cabinet Office, providing media support to the Prime Minister’s office and other government departments.

In addition, Clarence spent almost 20 years as an on air reporter and presenter for BBC News, taking in radio and network television including BBC News 24 and BBC World.

Speaking of his appointment, Clarence said: ‘I’m delighted to be joining Swanswell’s Board of Trustees and to be working with such an innovative organisation, offering exciting and effective services to those who are affected by substance misuse.

‘Swanswell believes in a society that’s free from problem alcohol and drug use – it’s a big challenge and it won’t happen overnight but with the right support, it’s achievable and I’m excited by that.’

He will join an already very experienced Board of Trustees. New Chair, Rita Stringfellow, said: ‘We’re delighted to welcome Clarence to our Board of Trustees and we’re certain he will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation.

‘We’re incredibly proud of the dedicated team we have at Swanswell – from the Board of Trustees to our day-to-day management team, frontline and support staff, who all share the same commitment to help people change and be happy.’

Ms Stringfellow moves from her previous position as Vice Chair to replace Mick Wells, who has stepped down as Chair after serving a term of 10 years on the Board (eight of which were as Chair). Swanswell trustee James Watkins becomes Vice Chair.

Ms Stringfellow added: ‘We’d like to thank Mick for his many years of dedicated service to Swanswell.
‘He’s overseen many positive changes to the organisation over time and has helped Swanswell continue to build on its reputation as a trusted and effective provider of substance misuse services.’

by Liz Eagles 29.09.12 12:04

Does this mean that Clarence isn't doing anything for the McCanns anymore? I thought he was also working on The Concordia disaster?

by **Tony Bennett** 29.09.12 12:25

aquila wrote:Does this mean that Clarence isn't doing anything for the McCanns anymore? I thought he was also working on The Concordia disaster?

aquila, it is not for nothing that Clarence Mitchell was once dexcribed by a prominent journalist as 'The Angel of Death'.

Somehow, Mitchell's metier seems to be death and disaster, right from his early days when he reported for the BBC on disasters and death, like the Leicestershire air crash disaster, and the deaths of those killed by Fred and Rosemary West and by Ian Huntley (the Soham murders) and of course the murder of the TV personality Jill Dando.

He was indeed also trying to spin the dreadful Costa Concordia disaster, when a maverick liner capotain who should have been sacked by Costa ages ago steered a ship in January this year on to the rocks, with fatal consequences:

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Burson-Marsteller called in to cover Costa Concordia disaster

Carnival, the holding company of Costa Cruises, has called in Burson-Marsteller to handle the corporate and crisis comms around the Costa Concordia disaster.

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Costa Concordia: ran aground off the Italian coast (Rex Features)

Burson-Marsteller MD Clarence Mitchell started working on the comms last night.

Rooster, the UK & Ireland PR agency for Costa Cruises, has also been handling media relations throughout the weekend.

Michele Andjel, head of PR at Carnival UK, told PRWeek that the company is working with the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) on press enquiries and ongoing updates.

The Costa Concordia, which had more than 4,000 people on board, flipped on its side after hitting a rock on Friday night off Italy's west coast. At least six people have died in the accident.

The first statement from Costa Cruises was released at 1am CET on Saturday, detailing how many people had been evacuated and that it was ‘currently working with the highest commitment to provide all the needed assistance’.

The comms response of both Costa Cruises and the general cruise industry to the disaster could have been more effective, according to one travel PR practitioner.

Brighter Group executive chairman Steve Dunne said: ‘It’s clear that the PR function there has been slow to react and take control of the situation. To have members of staff being interviewed and using terms like there was "mass panic" on the ship smacks of people not being briefed properly.’

Dunne went on to say that the disaster was not just Costa Cruises' problem but an industry problem – saying that it had had a ‘wake-up call’.

He said: ‘For 30 years cruise holidays have been the golden child of the travel industry with sales continuing to climb. This accident has caught them on the back foot and it has amazed me that nobody from the industry, especially the Passenger Shipping Association, has stepped forward to defend crusies and their safety record.

‘Somebody needs to be combating the pictures of the Costa Concordia sinking being broadcast across the world’s media and the word Titantic being used.'

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His recent career highlights have included:

1. Head of Tony Blair's spin operation

2. McCanns' chief public relations officer

3. Working as a public relations consultant for Rupert Murdoch's son-in-law (Freud Communications)

4. Working as public relations consultant for Lewis PR

5. Appointed as No. 2 to Andy Coulson, ex News of the World editor who was editor at the height of NOTW 'phone-hancking

6. Managing Director of Burson-Marstellar

7. Publicist for drugs & alcohol charity Swanswell.

It would be interesting to know in how many of these posts he has been engaged more in promoting the truth, or more un covering up the truth.

by Liz Eagles 29.09.12 17:26

It's being reported in DM today that Tony Blair is allegedly seeking the position of EU President (God help us). If that happens he might just have a vacancy for an angel of death. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

They'll certainly need weapons of maths destruction.

by bobbin 29.09.12 18:22

aquila wrote:It's being reported in DM today that Tony Blair is allegedly seeking the position of EU President (God help us). If that happens he might just have a vacancy for an angel of death. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

They'll certainly need weapons of maths destruction.

Here is the site on the Daily Mail. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I once met Tony Blair, as a mere M.P. He made my skin creep and my blood curdle even then. He is one of the selected 'stooges' for the New World Order take over, along with Bush and a whole heap of other top politicians. My only fervent hope is that the real angel of death will pay him a visit sooner rather than later, before we find Europe being dragged into a war against some other selected target for having 'weapons of being innocent and just minding their own business without hurting anyone else'.

In the absence of a timely visit from god's own angel, let's hope David Cameron gives us all a chance to be selective about those bits of Europe that we want to keep and binning the bits that are destroying us, minute by minute. Tony Blair won't be 'elected' back into power, but the 'powers that be' will place him there if they deem fit. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Liz Eagles 29.09.12 19:06

@Bobbin,

I remember when Tony Blair first went up for election as PM. The Conservative party had bill posters of him with devil's eyes. They were huge posters. I remember thinking at the time it was a bit outrageous to do that and I didn't like the 'American election tactics'. Sadly they were right. Everytime I look at that man I see blood on his hands, the love of money and lust for power in his eyes. He wasn't a catholic when in power as it wasn't suitable. He became a catholic soon after leaving. That 'committed christian' thing really gets to me. I don't know how he can sleep at night with the deaths he could have avoided.

I've googled to see if the posters still exist but I can't find them.

by **tigger** 29.09.12 19:11

aquila wrote:@Bobbin,

I remember when Tony Blair first went up for election as PM. The Conservative party had bill posters of him with devil's eyes. They were huge posters. I remember thinking at the time it was a bit outrageous to do that and I didn't like the 'American election tactics'. Sadly they were right. Everytime I look at that man I see blood on his hands, the love of money and lust for power in his eyes. He wasn't a catholic when in power as it wasn't suitable. He became a catholic soon after leaving. That 'committed christian' thing really gets to me. I don't know how he can sleep at night with the deaths he could have avoided.

I've googled to see if the posters still exist but I can't find them.

I remember Andy Williams in the News quiz saying that was a mistake, Blairs' eyes were mad enough without exaggeration. I agree, it's still the case. The man is a maniac and a religious one to boot, the worst kind.

by Liz Eagles 29.09.12 20:10

I just Wikipedia'd (that's not a word is it) Tony Blair. He has a Faith Foundation whose aim is 'idealism becomes the new realism'. I'm stunned.

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I also found the poster of the devil eyes (gave it another go on google)

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Sorry if I've drifted off topic here.

by aiyoyo 29.09.12 20:38

Tony Bennett wrote:Clarence, it would seem, is in demand.

He's a stone that gathers no moss post the mccanns.
Every of his job post mccanns is short-lived in stark contrast to his records pre-mccanns.
He was journalist for 2 decades, then civil servant for a handful of years, followed by being employed by mccanns for a couple of years full time (now ad hoc basis on retainer fee) then what followed is a series of short-lived appointments which leaves one wondering what causes the constant change. Was he sacked because he didn't deliver?

Companies must be wondering why he continues his employment with the mccanns on retainer basis when Yard is reviewing the case.
Why does he see himself as having a role still in that case and for how long?

Let's see how long his current job will last.
Despite his past records, he's best remembered for his role for the mccanns.
It's as if the mccanns made him and not the other way round - what an irony!

by Da Troof 29.09.12 22:13

aquila wrote:@Bobbin,

I remember when Tony Blair first went up for election as PM. The Conservative party had bill posters of him with devil's eyes. They were huge posters. I remember thinking at the time it was a bit outrageous to do that and I didn't like the 'American election tactics'. Sadly they were right. Everytime I look at that man I see blood on his hands, the love of money and lust for power in his eyes. He wasn't a catholic when in power as it wasn't suitable. He became a catholic soon after leaving. That 'committed christian' thing really gets to me. I don't know how he can sleep at night with the deaths he could have avoided.

I've googled to see if the posters still exist but I can't find them.

Actually I think Tony Blair is essentially a good man. Unfortunately I am reminded of this quote (not sure who said it first):

"Good men do good things and evil men do evil things, but for a good man to do evil things he must first get religion".

by **PeterMac** 29.09.12 22:56

Do you mean this one ?[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Sleep well.

by Guest 29.09.12 23:23

Aargh! I think it must have been Spittin' Image that portrayed him as a sort of demonic Omen character. It seemed a bit exaggerated then but soon turned out to be spot on!

by aiyoyo 30.09.12 4:19

Along with Bush, he should be tried for war crime against Iraq.

Has anyone read Baghdad Burning by Riverbend?

by **tigger** 30.09.12 5:59

I think the pink one is in demand because of his connections rather than his capabilities.

He must have forged quite a few links during his tenure with TM. He was and is a middle man - risen a long time ago to his level of incompetence. The McCanns have been a godsend to him.

by jd 30.09.12 13:07

I don't think mitchell was representing the mccanns as such, he was in effect representing Mark Warner/OC/Symingtons and the business going on in PDL/Algarve at the time

by Liz Eagles 30.09.12 13:32

jd wrote:I don't think mitchell was representing the mccanns as such, he was in effect representing Mark Warner/OC/Symingtons and the business going on in PDL/Algarve at the time

I agree JD. I think the McCanns were being manipulated from a great height. It's almost like the prank on the prankster. The McCanns may have had an agenda but my goodness it couldn't match the agendas of the rich and powerful whose interests were way beyond one missing little girl. I just see a bag of writhing snakes as I picture them all. Each one with an elephant in their room and each one of them moving forward in some sublime belief they can change things for the better and just push Madeleine to the back of their minds for the greater good (whilst making money). You only have to look at GM's launch into 'strategy' and being allowed to 'control'. Sorry GM, you control nothing IMO. As clever as GM might/or might not be, he is no politician, he definitely lacks diplomatic skill and he was always the puppet on a string (IMO). We haven't heard from him/or about him recently. Kate's had her bewk and revised bewk indulgence and been launched as an ambassador for missing PEOPLE (not specifically children that charity) and the press have basically blanked her now. The ambassadorial role was based on a six month free sponsorship of technology offered by a company to help Missing People (that company also has an agenda and it would pay to see who runs it at a corporate level). The McCanns have been duped into thinking they are important and possibly believing their own press. I often wonder who encouraged them to go to the Leveson Inquiry. It did the McCanns no favours.

AND IT DID SOD ALL FOR MADELEINE.

All of this is just my humble opinion.

by jd 30.09.12 14:17

Buying property in PDL/Algarve area was ripe at the time. Even Mark Warner had just bought into Ocean Club a few weeks before in April 2007...A new F1 track was being built in Portimão and scheduled to be added to the F1 season. Lots of interest and money to be made for the future from the area at that time. However in 2008, the Formula One bosses pulled the plug on future races being held there, when the race track fell below the safety standards expected of Grand Prix events

New Algarve F1 Circuit Portimão: Revving up for the Big Race
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With Portugal’s brand new Formula One race track, the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve F1 Circuit almost ready and raring to go, will all the new attention from the world of Motor Sports increase interest within the Algarve property circuit?

by **tigger** 30.09.12 15:02

jd wrote:I don't think mitchell was representing the mccanns as such, he was in effect representing Mark Warner/OC/Symingtons and the business going on in PDL/Algarve at the time

Well, that's what I meant. He was the middle man receiving instructions from above. However the execution of his orders leave something to be desired - he lacks gravitas, looks more like a second hand car salesman. But to appeal to the 'people' he was the right choice, especially in view of his experience with the Soham murders. The linkage to Maddie was perfect. Soham in Portugal with paedophiles. The tabloids were eating it up.

Now he is able to get jobs that were far beyond him in the past, just on the strength of connections made in the McCann years.

by jd 30.09.12 16:16

The tabloids were eating it up.

Yes, did the Murdoch empire get their hold on the **** (like with rebekah brooks 'persuading' cameron to have the review) because they have 'leverage' on certain high profile figures involved in the cover up. Howell James for example. After all, they had the UK governments held to blackmail on many other issues for decades! For the mccann **** this is a newspapers dream story that can run and run and run for years so its in their interests

jd you keep using the word scam as if it is fact, nothing is proved in a court of law, therefore please when writing posting make sure you say it is in your opinion etc or alleged, it is not a fact and could be libellous.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Please will other members take note, you can debate your theories and opinions but make sure it is crystal clear and not written as fact, if not proven. Thanks.