Former Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt has come under fire after accepting a paid consultancy role with British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the world’s largest tobacco firms — a move described by critics as incompatible with public health responsibilities.
Mordaunt, who previously held ministerial roles in health, work, and disability, is now advising BAT’s newly formed Tobacco Harm Reduction Advisory Group, offering insight into regulatory strategy, stakeholder communications, and corporate transformation. Her appointment was disclosed in a letter to Acoba (Advisory Committee on Business Appointments), which oversees the post-government roles of former ministers and senior officials.
The committee approved the appointment with conditions, including a two-year lobbying ban and a prohibition on using privileged information gained in office.
However, her decision to take on the role has sparked widespread criticism, particularly given her abstention from voting on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which proposed a landmark generational ban on tobacco sales. The bill was a centrepiece of the government’s health reforms and had cross-party backing.
Hazel Cheeseman, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: “Penny Mordaunt is joining a company that makes 80 per cent of its income from lethal combusted tobacco. While it talks up its approach to ‘harm reduction’, in countries where it can promote its cigarettes, it does. The British public do not trust tobacco companies — and I doubt they will be impressed by a former politician providing it highly-paid advice.”
Phil Chamberlain, deputy director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, warned the appointment undermines global tobacco control efforts.
“Twenty-one years ago the UK signed up to international regulations designed to keep the tobacco industry out of policymaking. Appointments such as this go against the spirit of those rules. Penny Mordaunt should put public health first and step down from this role.”
While it’s not unusual for former ministers to take on private sector roles, appointments involving the tobacco industry have become increasingly rare amid tightening global regulation and public health scrutiny. Former Chancellor Ken Clarke served as deputy chair of BAT during the 1990s, but such affiliations are now widely seen as politically toxic.
BAT, headquartered in London, generated £25.9 billion in revenue last year, with 80% coming from combustible products. While the firm is expanding its non-combustible portfolio — including the Vuse vape brand — critics argue this shift masks continued efforts to grow cigarette sales in less regulated markets.
A BAT spokesperson said it respects Acoba’s rules and is committed to harm reduction through innovation and science.
Mordaunt, who also serves as president of Portsmouth Hospitals League of Friends, has not yet commented publicly on her appointment. Her acceptance of the role comes as the tobacco industry remains one of the most heavily scrutinised sectors in global business.
