Thread by @MLiebreich

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers Auke, thanks for this. Let me add a nice twist. Clarendon Communications Ltd was only registered on 10 Feb 2020:
…te.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/124518…

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers Clarendon Communications has one director, Rebecca Caroline Stephens. She's never been a director of another UK company:
…te.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/vfPjd…

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers Clarendon Communications website is fascinating. PR companies normally tout the experience of their team. Not this company, it doesn't even list Rebecca Stephens, the only director. It does list two clients: @astonmartin and @RobertBoschUK. clarendoncommunications.co.uk/clients

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK The mysterious Clarendon Communications has a LinkedIn page, but it doesn't link to any people. My friends, pretty much the only way to have a company page on LinkedIn with no staff linked to it is... not to have staff. Y'all know where this is going...
linkedin.com/company/claren…

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK The first post on the Clarendon Communications LinkedIn page shows that, like the company it was only set up in early 2020:

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK There are only 6 posts so far on the Clarendon Communications LinkedIn page. The most recent is a share of one by @astonmartin's Director of Global Government and Corporate Affairs, one James M Stephens. Same name - quite the coincidence, no?

So @AstonMartinPR, care to comment?

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR And finally. Suppose this were a sock-puppet PR company, set up by @astonmartin to spread misinformation about the environmental performance of EVs in general and a competitor's EV in particular - that would be a great story for a transport correspondent like @GraemePaton, no?

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton OMG. It's Sat afternoon, nothing good on Netflix. So for £3, I ask the Land Registry who owns the registered address of @ClarendonComms's only director (redacted so I can't be accused of doxing). It's @jamesvsjaws Director of Government and External Affairs at @astonmartin! 🤯

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws This takes the story to a new level. A new report claims it takes 50,000 miles for EVs to earn back their embodied emissions. The report turns out to be a pamphlet by a sock-puppet PR company, working from a property owned by Aston Martin's Director of Government Affairs.

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws Which raises a number of interesting questions. I'll start:

1) Did @astonmartin pay @ClarendonComms, the sock puppet PR company which lists the wife (presumably) of the Director of Government Affairs as its only director, for its work on the pamphlet?

dropbox.com/s/4lh5prkwzn49…

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws 2) MP @MattWestern_ wrote the foreword for the pamphlet, saying "this report is aimed at informing the debate", a worthy aim. Did he know that @ClarendonComms was a sock-puppet PR company for Aston Martin? Matt, do you now distance yourself from this report and its fake figures?

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws @MattWestern_ 3) Did the other supporters of the report know that @ClarendonComms was sock-puppet for @astonmartin? Anyone want to comment from @RobertBoschUK, @Honda_UK, @UK_LeadersLIVE, @theLowCVP, @McLarenGroup, @Optaregroup, #RTFA?

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws @MattWestern_ @Honda_UK @UK_LeadersLIVE @theLowCVP @McLarenGroup @Optaregroup 4) Now that @AukeHoekstra has debunked the figures and I have exposed @ClarendonComms as a sock puppet for @astonmartin? Will the @Telegraph @thetimes @DailyMailUK and others which carried the story now give equal prominence to a retraction? I am quite sure they will.

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws @MattWestern_ @Honda_UK @UK_LeadersLIVE @theLowCVP @McLarenGroup @Optaregroup @Telegraph @thetimes @DailyMailUK 5) If the outlets that gave the story such prominence don't issue an equally prominent correction, can we all give @ret_ward a big pre-emptive round of applause for reporting them to the Press Complaints Commission?

OK, I think that's it from me. Rugby time.

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws @MattWestern_ By the way, no blame should attach to @MattWestern_ here. He's the constituency MP for Aston Martin's HQ and plant in Gaydon. If the biggest local employer asks you for a little favour, you don't ask many questions. But a statement is needed, retracting support for the report.

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws @MattWestern_ Oh, and at least the authors should have done @MattWestern_ the courtesy of spelling his name correctly in the report 🤦‍♀️

@AukeHoekstra @StevePeers @astonmartin @RobertBoschUK @AstonMartinPR @GraemePaton @ClarendonComms @jamesvsjaws @MattWestern_ @Honda_UK @UK_LeadersLIVE @theLowCVP @McLarenGroup @Optaregroup @Telegraph @thetimes @DailyMailUK @ret_ward 6) What will @astonmartin's institutional investors do about #Astongate? Do any of these folk make a big deal of their ESG principles? If would be awful to think that was just words - is this not exactly the sort of situation a focus on ESG was designed to stop ?