Lord Bell hits back at BBC over PR work for Arab rulers

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Bell has come under fire for working for the Egyptian Ministry of Information and the Economic Development Board of Bahrain because of the uprisings in those countries.

He accused Radio 4's Today of getting its facts wrong when it said he represented the now fallen Tunisian government as part of a wider report into Bell Pottinger's work for controversial foreign regimes.

"Some people in the media get to publish something which is part of the truth and not the whole truth - and sometimes not the truth at all," said Bell. "I think the BBC, which has 10 times the resources of everyone else, should try harder."

Bell added: "There's a thing to attack bankers, then there's a thing to attack accountants. You just have to ride with the punches."

He maintained that only five people - one of whom was a BBC journalist - attended a recent protest outside Bell Pottinger's Holborn offices about its work in Bahrain.

Bell Pottinger parent company Chime Communications, whose empire includes Compare The Market ad agency VCCP, reported a 14% rise in annual profits to £21.2 million and expects "continued growth".

Revenues rose 21% to £149.3 million although on a like-for-like basis, they were up 7% before acquisitions.

As well as PR and advertising, Chime's other key divisions are sports marketing and research. All four business divisions showed "strong growth in operating profit", said Bell.

He also noted that Chime "paid nearly £50 million in VAT, PAYE and Corporation tax. That is why business is the source of all growth" - an apparent swipe at some other corporates that avoid tax.

Chime plans further acquisitions and believes it is well-placed to weather the UK's economic troubles as half of income comes from overseas, with 24 offices around the world.

"Our Middle East business has not been affected by the turmoil in the region," said Bell. "Almost certainly all this turbulence will result in more contracts.

"The need to communicate has grown and grown. Change is in the air and people [clients] need to understand things and the growth of the internet. It needs to be handled and managed and used effectively and that's what we do."