Do Not Badger The Witness: Lord John Browne Is Run Out Of BP
FOR those of you not turned on to the delights of badger watching, there is “exercising in Battersea Park”.
Lord Browne of Madingley found himself behaving in such a fashion. And in the course of his callisthenics and stretchers he claimed to have happened across one Jeff Chevalier.
The Express reports on its front page that Browne, chief executive of BP until he just quit, “picked out” the Canadian from a “sordid gay website” called Suited and Booted.
It is clear that we need to establish the facts. The Times has Mr Chevalier at 27 years of age, while the Express says this jogging Canadian is “in his 30s”.
We would suggest the Express has erred, what with the Mirror and Mail leading with the age of 27.
But the Express is somewhat expert in matters of sleazy sex, what with it being involved with the Fantasy Channel and Red hot TV. We must allow for its expert knowledge in matters sordid.
Whatever the meeting, jogging or surfing, things moved on apace and Browne and Chevalier embarked on a four year-year relationship
And, as lovers do, they helped each other. Chevalier helped Browne, 59, stay fit. And Browne made “substantial payments” to his lover. He paid for him to study business at the University of Westminster, thus enabling the foreign national to remain in the country on a student visa.
But this was not enough. The relationship ended. And, as the Times says, in the time-honoured traditions of spurned lovers of rich and powerful men, Chevalier contacted the Mail on Sunday to sell his story.
Chevalier would tell all. He’d tell us about the £2,000 suits he wore. He’d tells us about how Browne used BP funds, facilities and staff to set Chevalier up in a mobile phone business. He’d tell us about discussions he overhead between Browne and the likes of Tony Blair and Gordon Browne. There was a dinner at Peter Mandelson’s house.
And as a result of his kiss ‘n’ tell Chevalier may earn a few quid for some new running shoes.
Browne was displeased. He went to court. He lied in court about how he had met Chevalier. And that was enough to do him down.
And now, the Mail on Sunday will seek to press on and publish the details of Mr Chevalier’s account.
“HUBRIS, LIES AND FALL OR THE SUN KING,” says the Mail’s cover. It’s all a matter of principle, you see.
The gay sex is not the story at all. Not for upstanding Mail readers. Even if the Express will use its front page to scream: “BP CHIEF QUITS IN RENT BOY SCANDAL.”
Posted: 2nd, May 2007 | In: Tabloids Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
