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• Re: University of Nottingham’s decision to accept British American Tobacco sponsorship 

Dear Sir Colin [Campbell], . . I am writing to express our dismay at the University of Nottingham’s decision to accept £3.8 million pounds from British American Tobacco for an International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility.  BAT is one of the world's most irresponsible and anti-social companies, and it is hardly surprising that your decision provoked widespread condemnation and incredulity.

I was particularly disturbed to hear you repeating tobacco industry rationalisations and apologia in media interviews earlier this week as you attempted to defend this decision.  It is amazing just how subtle and rapid the influence of tainted money, especially in such large sums, can be.

Allow me to explain why many people regard BAT as an unsuitable sponsor for a Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility. . .

Our view is that you have weighed the value of BAT's cash against the expected negative publicity and concluded that in return for riding a short-term storm, you would be happy to take their money.  You have acted with cynicism and short-sightedness in uncritically taking money from such a tainted source, and, as a result, jeopardised the university's reputation and made it a laughing stock.  As one journalist has put it "you couldn't make it up". 

In the light of this, and very much more, we would like to ask you to reconsider the decision to accept BAT's money. . .

We have copied this letter to a number of prominent figures in Nottingham University to establish their views and to understand better how this decision was reached.  We believe that there is widespread disquiet within the University and that if it emerges that you have ignored the wise counsel of colleagues and others with Nottingham University's wider interests at heart, then in our view you should step down. 

We will be asking cancer and other charities to reconsider providing funding for any part of Nottingham University. . .

Should you wish to delve more deeply into BAT's record, a version of this letter, with links to source material, has been posted on our Internet site at www.ash.org.uk/?conduct -- Clive Bates

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We have copied this letter to a number of prominent figures in Nottingham University to establish their views and to understand better how this decision was reached.  We believe that there is widespread disquiet within the University and that if it emerges that you have ignored the wise counsel of colleagues and others with Nottingham University's wider interests at heart, then in our view you should step down.  We will be asking cancer and other charities to reconsider providing funding for any part of Nottingham University
ASH-London has posted Clive Bates' fierce, informative and uncompromising letter to Nottingham's Sir Colin Campbell, complete with supporting links and references. <I>Re: University of Nottingham’s decision to accept British American Tobacco sponsorship</I>