BP's chief faces bid to oust him

BP is the world's fourth largest non-state controlled oil company

BP chairman Peter Sutherland is facing a bid to vote him out because of his role as non-executive director of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Consultancy firm PIRC is advising investors to oppose his reappointment at BP's annual meeting next week.

He was a member of RBS's remuneration committee which approved former chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin's pension.

Sir Fred's £703,000-a-year payout caused public uproar and prompted the government to ask him to give it up.

'Question his suitability'

In a statement about Mr Sutherland to investors, PIRC said: "His actions as a non-executive director of Royal Bank of Scotland and as a member of its remuneration committee bring into question his suitability as BP chairman."

In a statement, BP, which holds its annual general meeting on 16 April, said that PIRC's view was not shared by its shareholders as a whole.

"Peter Sutherland has proved to be a deeply able and highly respected chairman of BP for the past decade. It is a great pity that they have chosen to oppose him on grounds that have nothing to do with the company," the statement said.

Mr Sutherland became an RBS director in 2001, but left after a boardroom cull in February 2009.

Former RBS Chairman Tom McKillip resigned as a director of BP at the beginning of April.