BP's gushing profits and shareholder returns spark new political row

Handsome rewards of $3.5bn for company's investors sit uncomfortably alongside the very real pain that will be experienced by many British households in the coming months

BP chief executive Bernard Looney: 'I understand that people are under intense financial pressure here in the UK and across the world.'

If you want an illustration of the political perils of making huge oil and gas profits in Britain, look no further than a £400 (€480) charitable donation from the boss of BP.

That’s what chief executive Bernard Looney had to offer, in a swift piece of reputational management, after it emerged in an interview with the Times newspaper he was unaware the British government was offering direct financial assistance to help families pay their soaring energy bills this winter.