Thatcher in Marlboro country

A POLITICAL storm broke last night over the disclosure that Baroness Thatcher is discussing an appointment as an international consultant to Philip Morris Inc, the world's largest tobacco company.

The former prime minister, who has already undertaken a number of speaking engagements for the American multi-national, is considering a position as an adviser on 'geo-political issues'.

Lady Thatcher's London office last night dismissed reports that the position on offer would be worth up to dollars 1m ( pounds 550,000) a year. A spokeswoman said: 'The idea that she is getting paid dollars 1m a year is completely untrue.'

However she added: 'There could not be anybody better qualified or with a greater understanding of world politics. It is a very shifting scene and they could be looking for advice about economies around the world.'

The tobacco giant, manufacturer of the Marlboro brand, is likely to want the former premier's advice on a range of issues including the controversial expansion of markets into the Third World and eastern Europe. Philip Morris is one of the world's most successful multi-national corporations with post-tax profits of more than dollars 1bn in the first three months of this year. It makes 11 per cent of the 5,000 billion cigarettes consumed annually worldwide.

Lady Thatcher is not a smoker - although her husband, Sir Denis, is known as a heavy consumer - and her allies believe she would not be overly concerned about the anger of the anti-smoking lobby.

Roger Sims, a Tory MP and a member of the Select Committee on Health, said: 'I'm extremely surprised that she should wish to be associated with the tobacco industry.'

Harriet Harman, a shadow health minister, said last night: 'She demeans the office of Prime Minister by taking money to help sign up her fellow citizens to a habit that will kill them. Virginia Bottomley (the Secretary of State for Health) should condemn it.'

(Photograph omitted)