Wednesday 1st April 2015

Post by **refitman** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 6:35 am

Morning all.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 7:02 am

Good morning, some passing thoughts to bore you at the start of a new day. I recently remarked on how my youngest was being taken on by the let's call it parent company, although possibly unrelated to the agency he's employed by. As I was dropping him off this morning and asked his finish time, subject to otherwise being advised, he remarked that tomorrow was a long day as he was doing what was nominally an apprenticeship day. Now I could be wrong and shall have to check with him later, but I cannot help but feel concerned by the terminology. Here is a chap who has worked there for roughly six months with a short break when most were laid off at a company where the CEO (I think) was recently in the news because historically it is a British company but has overseas tax arrangements, or so I believe I didn't pay it too much attention.

What concerns me is the terminology. Presumably this is about formally being taken on rather than being with the agency, yet they call it an 'apprenticeship' day. I would have expected induction or some other such term, and let's remember that he has been there six months. As I say I shall check, but they had better not be paying apprenticeship rates; nothing surprises me these days with how major companies treat many of their staff. I'll let you know later and also name the company should it be doing so.

'And on a completely separate note, Nile Rodgers was on Hard Talk this morning. I can't say that I'm particularly familiar with his music, albeit probably heard a lot. I don't know why exactly, but particularly like it when Stephen Sackur interviews musicians, I think him a fan. Anyway Nile's life is not without adversity, particularly his childhood, not that he made much of it. It reminded me of a young girl I once knew of about eleven, who had two junkies for parents on the fringes of my social scene. I only became aware of her when my first wife and I had been invited to dinner. Needless to say her parents had forgotten and were completely out of it; their daughter proved a rather remarkable girl.

Anyway Stephen and Nile briefly touched on race relations in America, but on the whole the interview was most uplifting. Nile just comes across as a really up-beat guy. He also offers a short but interesting perspective to the recent Pharrel Williams and Blurred Lines furore. Maybe that's just me being a bit of a geek and looking at it from a reverse engineering point of view. Where do you draw the line between concept and copyright? I would recommend giving it a view.

Edit: I've just re-read this. Am I being over particular?

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 7:57 am

Of the 100 “business chiefs” who write to the Telegraph today in support of the Conservatives, 13 were also signatories of a letter to the Telegraph on 18 October 2010.

That letter started:

SIR – It has been suggested that the deficit reduction programme set out by George Osborne in his emergency Budget should be watered down and spread over more than one parliament. We believe that this would be a mistake.

Addressing the debt problem in a decisive way will improve business and consumer confidence. Reducing the deficit more slowly would mean additional borrowing every year, higher national debt, and therefore higher spending on interest payments.

The cost of delay would result in almost £100 billion of additional national debt by the end of this parliament alone. In the end, the result would be deeper cuts, or further tax rises, in order to pay for the extra debt interest.

In fact Osborne’s deficit reduction plan has been spread “over more than one parliament” and national debt has risen, by hundreds of billions. The Conservatives are promising “deeper cuts”.

They believed it “would be a mistake” to do precisely what Osborne has done. So why are these business leaders supporting him again?

2010 Letter: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/lett ... -jobs.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2015 Letter: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... hiefs.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

13 signatories of both letters:
Robert Bensoussan
Gerald Corbett
Peter Cullum
Charles Dunstone
Ben Gordon
Aidan Heavey
Neil Johnson
Nick Leslau
Nick Robertson
Stuart Rose
Michael Turner
Moni Varma
Paul Walsh

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 7:58 am

Morning by the way. And if anyone has time to check I've got the 13 correct it would be appreciated

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:06 am

Morning all.

So why are these business leaders supporting him again?

Because they want the party that will protect their privileges. They are businessmen not economists. They know no more than you or me.

PS. I realise it was a rhetorical question Paul.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:21 am

Philip Green's signed it.

What does Green know about running a business apart from milking it for profit and having his wife down as the owner ?

He has ruined British Homes Stores. No investment, poor staff training, cheap tatty products piled up, poorly displayed. Entering one of his stores is a profoundly depressing experience.
Marks and Spencer under Rose was not much better.
Yet we are supposed to fall at their feet in gratitude at their utterances because they are business leaders.

The next few weeks is going to be very difficult. Anyone got a survival strategy to share ?

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:23 am

yahyah wrote:Philip Green's signed it.

What does Green know about running a business apart from milking it for profit and having his wife down as the owner ?

He has ruined British Homes Stores. No investment, poor staff training, cheap tatty products piled up, poorly displayed. Entering one of his stores is a profoundly depressing experience.
Marks and Spencer under Rose was not much better.
Yet we are supposed to fall at their feet in gratitude at their utterances because they are business leaders.

The next few weeks is going to be very difficult. Anyone got a survival strategy to share ?

Morning yahyah

Anyone who's got time to do some research. Go down that list of 100. Find out where they live and where they pay their taxes. Surely there's one or two that we can expose?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:29 am

Good morning, after my usual walk with the hounds I settled down for a coffee, some toast and few biscuits to dunk in milky coffee, flicking the channels I managed to catch this snippet:

Eamonn Holmes ''Who's behind this letter, because there usually is?''

Sophy Ridge ''You're right Eamonn, and essentially it is the Conservative party, they contacted these businessmen and asked if they wanted their names added to the list''

Meanwhile Bill on the other side continued to do the Tories bidding.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:29 am

The whole list, not sure if it will display too big.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:32 am

Thanks yahyah

Let's get after 'em

I'll start at the end. Sir Hossein Yassaie?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:34 am

I started at the beginning with the Green King boss...one site says little is known about his personal life.

Bannantyne used to be more for Labour didn't he ?

What really irks is all those right wingers complaining about the power of the unions, yet here, a small group of probably naturally right wing people get given a huge amount of publicity.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:41 am

Surinder Arora is behind Sofitel was a supporter of Blair, Wiki says he has a low staff turnover and implies he is good with his staff.
He now advises the Tories on business, lives in Surrey. Estimated worth between £225 & £356 million.

How do we find their tax status ?

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:44 am

I spent more seconds than I care to admit trying to visualise just how this would work

''New tunnel to link Cardiff Bay with Bristol city centre''
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ay-8949735" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:48 am

Some if not most are repeat signatories, here's one from 2001, one Matthew Vaughan, son of Robert and producer of shit London gangster type movies, in '01 he warned that a second Labour term would be disastrous for the economy, shows how much he fucking knows then.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... ories.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apols for language, but we are being played for fools, a letter to the Telegraph during the election cycle is as expected as a cold Easter bank holiday, pathetic. Wish the Mirror would ape it and turn it on its arse.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:49 am

yahyah wrote:I spent more seconds than I care to admit trying to work visualise just how this would work

''New tunnel to link Cardiff Bay with Bristol city centre''
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ay-8949735" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well I'm glad you've surfaced now, yahyah.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:51 am

yahyah wrote:I spent more seconds than I care to admit trying to work visualise just how this would work

''New tunnel to link Cardiff Bay with Bristol city centre''
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ay-8949735" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That sounds good, hope it comes off, must admit I haven't heard anything about it.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:52 am

Michael Gutman and Charles Wigoder (any others?) were 'Dine with Dave' chaps

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/da ... ss-4618443" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

david-camerons-tories-cash-access

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:52 am

yahyah wrote:I started at the beginning with the Green King boss...one site says little is known about his personal life.

Bannantyne used to be more for Labour didn't he ?

What really irks is all those right wingers complaining about the power of the unions, yet here, a small group of probably naturally right wing people get given a huge amount of publicity.

Evetimorninoon all...

Not so sure Anand (Greene King) is a particularly good choice to be telling us about Labour and any potential issues with their policies....

'The scheme had already attracted criticisms from politicians of all colours. Conservative MP Richard Bacon, a member of the public accounts committee, has called it "purely artificial", while the committee's chair, Margaret Hodge, cited it as one of the most egregious examples she had seen of tax avoidance marketed by an accountancy firm.
There are thought to be about 10 other firms who bought into Project Sussex, agreeing to pay a 10% cut of the avoided tax to the accountancy firm.
It has now backfired spectacularly for Greene King. Not only did it fail to enable the brewer to avoid tax on £21.3m of interest, it also left it unintentionally taxed twice on some gains.'

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... nce-scheme

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:56 am

yahyah wrote:I spent more seconds than I care to admit trying to work visualise just how this would work

''New tunnel to link Cardiff Bay with Bristol city centre''
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ay-8949735" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is Narr the Welsh for first by any chance?

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:57 am

Anyone know who Mike Wheeler is?

The first one that pops up on Google owns a Motorcycle shop in Whitney

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 8:59 am

@Paul

Peter Jukes's been looking at it:
https://twitter.com/peterjukes" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

First name of @telegraph front page of pro Tory business figures is famous for failed tax avoidance http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... nce-scheme" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Fourth name on @Telegraph list of business supporters is an employee of the the paper's proprietors http://www.cityam.com/1414545762/barcla ... e-shoppers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … … @

5th name Richard Baker invested in a dodgy film partnership scheme HMRC had to clamp down on http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ac2cebf4-bc65 ... z3W0lZXXT6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:00 am

Don't suppose the BBC will be pointing that out.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:00 am

Paul Walsh is one of the highest-paid businessmen in Britain, earning £11.2 million between June 2011 and June 2012 from his work at Diageo. He lives in a farmhouse with 20-acre (8.1 ha) grounds at Billingshurst, near Horsham in West Sussex, and also maintains a penthouse apartment near Chelsea Bridge in London where he lives on weekdays. He holds a minority stake in a 2,400-acre (970 ha) game ranch in South Africa, where he enjoys big game hunting.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:01 am

Morning every one. Lost my wifi signal yesterday evening, had just said goodnight to PF and that was all she wrote!

Had meant to add that yesterday as well as Mr Ohso's kerfuffle with the doctor and chemist, the postman delivered a Christmas card. Franked in Texas on Dec 13th. Is that a record?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:04 am

Talk about rigged polling, the Telegraph have one of those instant polls thingies, question, have Labour lost the business vote or do they still have it, if you vote for the latter it comes up ''oops, try again'' must follow Jim Waterston, he's good with things like that, spots the ridiculous and the absurd.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:09 am

Sorry to go on about Wales, am not a native born, but Wales Online [Western Mail in paper form] have collated a manifesto, as voted for by their readers.

What Wales wants, they say, is:

Welsh Labour, Plaid C, Lib Dems & Green spokespeople [Pippa 'One Jag' Bartolotti for the latter]
have responded. Maybe not surprising, but the Tories & UKIP haven't bothered.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... es-8958560

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:15 am

Okay I said earlier that I would name the company employing my youngest should they be paying him reduced rates tomorrow but then thought I'd do so anyway if the CEO appears on yahyah's list, but first I had to Google him because I'd forgotten his name.

He's not on the list as it happens but given the reason for his recent exposure in the media plus the fact that when my son first went for interview, with the agency but on said company's site, I received a text after about an hour's wait. My son was doing a full days work but did not commence till the following day. He was not paid for his first shift's work, as were many others. How times have changed.

Stefano Pessina, is the man in question, the CEO of Boots. He deserves outing given the following.

Boots boss: Ed Miliband would be a 'catastrophe' for Britain: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... itain.html

Labour launches stinging attack on Boots boss Stefano Pessina: http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... nna-tax-uk

Edit: for those who think in terms of boycotting businesses for their employee relations. I'll just add that I'm in two minds about such things. Perhaps that says more about me being ex-LibDem, i.e. sitting on the fence. My guts say boycott but then my head has concerns about any subsequent lay-offs.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:19 am

This could be of help?

http://leftfootforward.org/2015/04/reve ... ng-bosses/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:20 am

Is this any help?

http://leftfootforward.org/2015/04/reve ... ng-bosses/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've Tweeted what you've found already via the FTN a/c and then shot over to my a/c and re-Tweeted the FTN posts. Phew!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:21 am

@LSTTL

Snap

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:25 am

ohsocynical wrote:@LSTTL

Snap

Hah!

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:28 am

hopbin retweeted
Michael ‏@TheRightArticle 11 mins11 minutes ago

Prudential CX Tidjane Thiam one of the signatories of the letter supporting the Tories has just received £11.8 million 'bonus'. Enough said.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:28 am

@utopian dreams.

I know what you mean about head or heart when boycotting companies.
But in my local town, I use an independent chemist owned by someone from around the area, not tax avoiding Boots, when ever I can.

When the Scottish Indy campaign was at its most aggressive and I saw the true colours of a lot of the Yes agitators, I swore never again to eat Scottish raspberries or a shortbread petticoat tail.
That didn't last long.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:32 am

Found this as a footnote on the bottom of a Daily Mirror article on IDS.

The Queen may refuse to speak at the Opening of Parliament if David Cameron clings to power with no party having a majority in May, constitutional expert Peter Riddell has warned.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:33 am

Haven't got time to look at moment,
so picked one at random from middle of list & googled
Ron Mackingtosh,
Director of CSR,
in process of being taken over by Qualcomm
Think this is Qualcomm Inc who have been in spotlight in America for political donations.
Doesn't bode well for rest of list.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:36 am

yahyah wrote:@utopian dreams.

I know what you mean about head or heart when boycotting companies.
But in my local town, I use an independent chemist owned by someone from around the area, not tax avoiding Boots, when ever I can.

When the Scottish Indy campaign was at its most aggressive and I saw the true colours of a lot of the Yes agitators, I swore never again to eat Scottish raspberries or a shortbread petticoat tail.
That didn't last long.

Quick reply before I sign off, yahyah. I too have a tendency to support small business, possibly a hangover from my own days as a small businessman. Apart from anything else I appreciate the personal service. Like anybody else I'm seduced by price but quite frankly local businesses are often little to no more expensive. Take my insurance broker for example, I can go online and check whatever rates may apply to my car insurance; even being over 50 does not accord me any better rates. Besides it's the personal service, whenever there is a problem I just ring him up and he usually deals with it. Can't say fairer than that.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:46 am

Looks as though Peter Jukes is going through the list of swashbuckling business people, the ones who put the Great into Britain.. rah, rah, rah.

Him and David Prescott, sorry if repeating what others have already wrote.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:47 am

Greetings be on this ~~house~~ forum.

Much is being made on Sparrow's ~~PPB for the Lib Dems~~blog of the fact that some of the signatories to this letter used to support the Labour Party; that is, of course, a load of spherical objects, they used to support Blair, which is a very different thing. Duncan Bannantyne, for example, was a vocal supporter of Thatcher back in the day, then switched to Blair because Major was so useless and switched back to the Tories the instant they started waving their cheque book around; the only consolation is that because this very obviously another Shapps wheeze it will backfire (it is unraveling already) and they made find people choose not to use their companies in future.

Edited to add - the hashtag #100sociopaths is now trending nicely on Twitter.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:50 am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32143952" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2/3 of economists, who by and by are usually impartial agree that austerity has been bad for this country..

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 9:57 am

yahyah wrote:Philip Green's signed it.

What does Green know about running a business apart from milking it for profit and having his wife down as the owner ?

He has ruined British Homes Stores. No investment, poor staff training, cheap tatty products piled up, poorly displayed. Entering one of his stores is a profoundly depressing experience.
Marks and Spencer under Rose was not much better.
Yet we are supposed to fall at their feet in gratitude at their utterances because they are business leaders.

The next few weeks is going to be very difficult. Anyone got a survival strategy to share ?

My survival strategy(for most things in life),chocolate,wine,turn off the news,read some books and go for some love!y walks.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 10:11 am

Zero.. nada.. zilch: SNP plans to spend NOTHING to combat austerity next year are revealed in document bombshell

FORMER Prime Minister Gordon Brown published Treasury documents that show the SNP's plan for 'zero additional spending' over the next year.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... ns-5431428

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 10:46 am

Here's one of the names on the dodgy 100, laugh, I nearly pissed myself. It had to happen didn't it..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/fina ... ading.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 10:51 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Here's one of the names on the dodgy 100, laugh, I nearly pissed myself. It had to happen didn't it..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/fina ... ading.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is that really the same chap?

There are, for example, two Philip Green's; both industry leaders, one of them is a tax avoider the other a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 11:04 am

The sort of stunt the Torygraph/CCO have pulled used to be so much more effective in the days before social media, didn't it?

I've said it before but it bears repeating - it really is no coincidence that the last GE the Tories won outright (1992) was also the last pre-internet election.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 11:08 am

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Here's one of the names on the dodgy 100, laugh, I nearly pissed myself. It had to happen didn't it..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/fina ... ading.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Is that really the same chap?

There are, for example, two Philip Green's; both industry leaders, one of them is a tax avoider the other a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility.

I believe so, its the one doing the rounds on social media, I will admit tho it does sometimes get it wrong.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 11:11 am

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Here's one of the names on the dodgy 100, laugh, I nearly pissed myself. It had to happen didn't it..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/fina ... ading.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Is that really the same chap?

There are, for example, two Philip Green's; both industry leaders, one of them is a tax avoider the other a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility.

No, he's Richard Joseph of "Joseph Joseph" kitchenware

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 11:13 am

I've only just noticed the date. More fool me.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 11:15 am

tinybgoat wrote:
TechnicalEphemera wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Here's one of the names on the dodgy 100, laugh, I nearly pissed myself. It had to happen didn't it..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/fina ... ading.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Is that really the same chap?

There are, for example, two Philip Green's; both industry leaders, one of them is a tax avoider the other a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility.
No, he's Richard Joseph of "Joseph Joseph" kitchenware

Thank you, his name was thrown up, another to avoid buying.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 11:24 am

Marginal polling coming up!

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 01 Apr, 2015 11:33 am

Good morfternoon.

UK productivity growth is weakest since second world war, says ONS

As data shows 0.2% drop in output, two-thirds of leading UK economists say coalition austerity had been bad for the economy (Guardian)

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... i-says-ons

I'm sure we must already have had his but - how many interviews has George Osborne racked up today in response to this statistic?