Bell Pottinger.

As they say, 'What goes round comes around'.

Bell Pottinger, one of the more notorious public relations firms has had to call in the administrators, who will probably wind up the company as it is unlikely that anyone would want to buy this tarnished company now.

This month, the PR world's professional body expelled Bell Pottinger for five years for unethical behaviour in South Africa, where it waged a campaign on behalf of a very wealthy business family, using racism as a tool.

I can't add much to that as I am very conscious of the scope of the libel laws in this country. My beef with the firm is this - Tim Bell started his working life with the advertising company Saatchi and Saatchi. Through them he ended up working on Margaret Thatcher's advertising campaigns in the 1980's, and can take a considerable amount of credit for her success during this period.

During the 1984 Miner's Strike, Bell was seconded to The National Coal Board and co-ordinated the campaign to beat the Miners, using huge amounts of taxpayers money as well as the full force of the State.

Bell acted as the link man and often as the bagman, connecting the worlds of Security, The State, The media, Business and the scab miners who went back to work in dubious circumstances.

All these years later, many of the 'independent miner's unions that were formed as a result of breaking the strike have served time in prison for fraud. leading South Yorkshire police officers who mishandled and then covered up The Hillsborough Disaster are facing trial for manslaughter.

These days, Bell is a shadow of his former self. His past has come back to haunt him and it is fitting that the firm he founded has now closed in disgraceful circumstances.

It's something that should have happened thirty years ago.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com