Tony Hayward: I understand American anger
By Peter Wozniak and Ian Dunt
The anger directed at Tony Hayward following the Gulf oil spill was “entirely understandable”, he has said.
Asked if he recognised any communications failings in the wake of the spill by the Commons energy committee, Mr Haward replied: “Given the scale of this tragedy the emotion and anger in the United States was very high – understandably so – so it made communication very difficult.
“It was a terrible tragedy that was causing immense stress and distress to many thousands of people. I think the reaction was entirely understandable.”
The outgoing BP chief was answering questions on the oil spill’s implications for the UK, including whether a similar disaster could occur with operations in the North Sea.
Mr Hayward admitted during the session that BP’s lack of preparation was “unacceptable”.
Labour MP Albert Owen asked him: “Do you not understand the frustration and anger, not just of American senators and congressmen, but of people who care about the environment that this is allowed to happen … Surely there should have been some thought that an accident would happen at this depth?
Mr Hayward replied: “I understand why people feel the way they do and there’s no doubt that the inability of BP and the industry to intervene, because it was not properly prepared, was unacceptable.
“The industry was not prepared because it believed it had mitigated the risk … And that clearly was a very bad assumption.”
Mr Hayward was pressured into stepping down next month as a result of the explosion of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April.
Lax safety procedures were blamed for the ensuing 11 fatalities and a spill that took months to cap, with disastrous environmental and economic implications for the Gulf region.
The chief executive of the oil giant was brought before a US congressional committee over the Gulf spill and was accused of evading questions amid intense public outcry against BP in the US.
Photographs of him taking a day off to go sailing near the Isle of White triggered a wave of indignation across the American media.
Mr Hayward will be replaced by American Bob Dudley, currently BP’s managing director.
