Blair As New Boss Of BP? British Paper Says So

LONDON - British financial insiders are touting former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as the next chairman of beleaguered energy giant BP, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported on Wednesday.

"Anyone who watched chief executive Tony Hayward struggle to find a voice while being skewered by Congress last week would have realized the company needs to step up its debating skills by about 1,000%," said writer and financial columnist Matthew Lynn.

Executives' gaffes have defined BP's reaction in the wake of the April 20 rig explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company has become an object of hate in parts of the United States and endured scathing criticism from politicians and the public as a whole.

BP's reputation is not the only thing to have taken a beating — its shares have lost 50 percent of their value since the Deepwater Horizon spill began.

Tony Blair, who led the country for 10 years and is popular in the United States, could help repair the BP's public image, Lynn said.

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