If you want an illustration of the political perils of making huge oil and gas profits in the UK, look no further than a £400 charitable donation from the boss of BP Plc. That’s what Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney had to offer, in a swift piece of reputational management, after it emerged in an interview with the Times newspaper that he was unaware the UK government was offering direct financial assistance to help families pay their soaring energy bills this winter. Looney, whose salary this year is £1.4 million, has little need of the extra funds that will go to every household in the country.