The Tate was forced to release its sponsorship arrangements with oil giant BP on 26 January 2015. The landmark ruling was the result of a three-year long Freedom of Information (FOI) appeals process by London-based campaign group Platform, FOI company Request Initiative and law firms Leigh Day and Monckton chambers. The ruling required Tate to publish the sum of money BP paid as a sponsor between 1990 and 2006, along with details of internal decision-making on the controversial relationship. Figures showed payments from BP increased from just £150,000 in 1991 to only £330,000 in 2006. The donations, which continue today, mean BP has its flower petal logo hanging around the galleries and, according to campaigners, provides them with a ‘social licence to operate’ by making them appear socially conscious and respectable. This DeSmog UK series reports at the forefront of this battle for information.
