By CHUCK BENNETT
June 21, 2008
There'll be no tea and crumpets for Martha Stewart.
The lifestyle mogul's 2004 conviction for obstruction of justice barred her from obtaining a business visa to Britain to meet with fashion industry execs and speak at the Royal Academy of Arts.
The ex-con, 66, had planned to spend a few days across the pond next week to speak at the prestigious arts institution in London, then hold a series of business meetings with corporate titans like Jasper Conran, a renowned women's wear designer.
But her conviction for obstructing the criminal probe into her stock trades and subsequent five-month prison sentence barred her entry to Britain.
"The British Government opposes the entry to the UK of individuals where we believe their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good or where they have been found guilty of serious criminal offenses abroad," said Nick Allen, a spokesman for the British embassy in Washington.
US citizens sometimes need visas to travel to Britain for business, according to British government rules.
A source at the British Foreign Office said it was "not happy" with Stewart's rejection and called it a "bad decision" in light of the economic activity her business ventures could create.
"They are applying a rule without thinking who Martha Stewart is. She'll bring big business to the UK," the source said.
Former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson, a convicted rapist, was granted a visa last month to tour England, where he charged locals $500 a ticket for a question-and-answer session.
Stewart declined to comment directly on her visa rejection.
"Martha loves England; the country and English culture are near and dear to her heart. She has engagements with English companies and business leaders and hopes this can be resolved so that she will be able to visit soon," said Charles Koppelman, chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
Stewart spent yesterday in Warsaw, Poland, which found no problem with her conviction. She was there to promote the new Polish-language edition of her magazine, Martha Stewart Living.
cbennett@nypost.com
