10 The Sunday Times July 29, 2018 BUSINESS Liam Kelly LETTERS Rose pruned at corporate spooks a particularly apposite former boss Sir Martin Send your letters, including ale from the barroom slops Our banks are sacrificed choice right now, given the Sorrell, for once, but with its SIGNALS full name and address, bucket.” for US dominance predicament facing document storage company. AND NOISE . to: The Sunday Times, This is the same RBS whose It has been apparent for some It’s all about who you know officers, has long been a Hammerson boss David Transworld has looked 1 London Bridge Street, Global Restructuring Group years that the US regulatory in the world of corporate landing pad for Rolls-Royce Atkins. after WPP’s riveting annual London SE1 9GF. Or email (GRG) caused many business authority is imposing huge intelligence. Unfortunately veterans. Its recruits include Prufrock tried to imagine reports, brochures and the [email protected] people untold misery with fines on American banks’ for Sir John Rose, the former Rose’s predecessor at the what else might have been annual Atticus journal for 20 Letters may be edited their “inappropriate” competitors (notably Barclays Rolls-Royce boss’s engine maker, Sir Ralph on the set list. Don’t Stop years. But the advertising treatment in 2005-13, and Deutsche) to clear the connections haven’t been Robins, former general Believin’, by Journey? giant is having trouble resulting in broken lives and board for themselves. enough to keep him as counsel Robert Webb and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, getting back its property, The Netflix effect: TV is marriages, even suicides. At the height of Barclays’ chairman of one of the top Richard Margolis, who was a by Bob Dylan? Perhaps according to a writ filed at turning us into Americans The same outfit whose power, and, arguably, its firms of corporate spooks. regional director. Atkins, 52, who has vowed to the High Court. There are indeed warning bullying behaviour was “so success, the bank was led by The 65-year-old quietly Why the sudden exit for stay at Hammerson “for In January, WPP tried to signs for Britain as outlined in disgraceful”, according to an American. Also, Britain stepped down as a director Rose? Surely nothing to do many years to come”, put in dump Transworld — and, as last week’s article (“Love the Nicky Morgan, chairwoman extradites bankers to the US of Holdingham Group, the with the Serious Fraud a request for the Gloria with all break-ups, wanted to island, shame about the rest of the Treasury committee, to stand trial, like sacrificial parent company of secretive Office’s long-running Gaynor classic: I Will Survive. arrange a time to pick up its of telly”) describing the that she decided to publish a lambs — something the US outfit Hakluyt, at the end of investigation into people things. The storage company inroads into young people’s report into its actions over would never do; once an last year. (Companies House allegedly involved in apparently shot back saying viewing habits made by US the heads of the Financial American is on American filings have only just revealed corruption and bribery at the WPP wants its WPP was in breach of streaming services such as Conduct Authority. soil, that is where he stays. his departure, though he is company he ran so contract and refused to plan Netflix and Amazon. That was back in only Jan Weller, Brentwood, Essex still on the advisory board.) successfully for 15 years? files back a time for collection. As this was in the Business February. Yet here we have Hakluyt, which was Breaking up can be messy, as It looks as if a judge will Masters of Business: section, the focus was, the arrogant RBS chairman As ever, CBI shuns change created by former MI6 WPP is finding out. Not with have to intervene in the Our 24-page guide to all understandably, on threats to Sir Howard Davies declaring and threatens disaster Under pressure autumn. Awkward. the British business schools our broadcasters and creative he would close new claims in Remember Terence Beckett, offering MBAs. Free with this industries, but there is October because it was “the director-general of the CBI in JUST SAYING . at Hammerson FUNNY BUSINESS week’s Sunday Times danger here for the culture as appropriate time”. How dare the 1980s and chairman of Last Tuesday morning, Believe well as the economy. he? And on whose authority? Ford GB, powerless at the When the the FTSE 250 property As young people watch This is the next large pile of time to deal with the unions, company Hammerson laid in litter TWITTER POLL “40% less scheduled TV — manure to be cleansed from promising the Thatcher company out a strategy to appease Define irony: a broadcaster including BBC and ITV — than the Augean banking stables, government a “bare-knuckle finds a shareholders still angry at constantly highlighting the Yes No they did seven years ago”, it not simply swept away. Let us fight” over its policies? bosses for spurning a 635p-a- scourge of plastic pollution would be interesting to know remember what Morgan had On retirement, he changed successor, share approach from French sponsors a cycling team to by how much the share of to say: “The overarching his mind. “It’s not the fault of I will be rival Klépierre in April. Two spend three weeks littering 28% 72% American material is rising. priority at all levels of GRG this government. We have had days later, Hammerson’s UK the French countryside with Many British people under was not the health and an inheritance of inertia in set free and Ireland managing plastic bottles and wrappers 35 already seem to talk, like, strength of customers, but this country, which has been director put on an altogether from energy gels. American, so it may not be the generation of income for disguised by the Industrial more enjoyable event. Can anyone blame Team long before you can’t tell a RBS through made-up fees, Revolution, the Empire and, Mark Bourgeois, 50, Sky after the rough Brit from a Yank. high interest rates, and the lastly, North Sea oil. For 40 shopping centre boss by day treatment Geraint Thomas, Martin James, Haslemere, acquisition of equity and years, we have had policies and drummer by night, Chris Froome et al have had Surrey property.” which postponed change.” played with his covers band, at the hands of aggressive After ITV and Sky Painful as it may be, this Exactly the policies the CBI David Fischel, boss of Intu, Brickwork, at the Water Rats spectators and gendarmes? announced positive No, RBS, you shouldn’t get episode must be allowed to still promotes — avoid change after announcing he will in King’s Cross, London. At For what it’s worth, Team results, is the threat to away with it quite so easily continue for as long as it takes at all costs, and threaten leave the beleaguered previous gigs, Brickwork Sky says it will eliminate traditional broadcasters Instead of “Small beer for for those responsible to be disaster. Much easier than shopping centre owner have played Under Pressure single-use plastics by 2020. from Netflix overstated? victims of RBS”, perhaps your exposed for what they did. actually managing a business. later this year by Queen and David Bowie — [email protected] @ST_Business headline last week should Richard Meredith, Newport Lynne Barlow, Wigan, have been more “flat as stale Pagnell, Buckinghamshire Lancashire DATABANK INSIDE THE CITY SABAH MEDDINGS THE WEEK IN THE MARKETS THE ECONOMY Consumer prices index current rate prev. month FTSE 100 FTSE 100 DOLLAR 2.4% 2.4% Howdens said sales growth February after a USD > GBP Travis had slowed as homeowners disappointing set of results — 7,800 CPI including housing current rate prev. month spent less on big-ticket items. due, said the company, to 7,600 $1.31 2.3% 2.3% However, rivals’ troubles weaker consumer confidence W 0.00 Retail prices index current rate prev. month Perkins is could also give Travis Perkins and fewer secondary 12-month high: $1.44 7,400 low: $1.28 a boost. Hilco Capital, which property sales, which meant 3.4% 3.3% EURO under the took control of the DIY chain people spent less on doing up 7,701.31 7,200 Average weekly earnings on prev. month on last year Homebase after previous their new homes. Meanwhile, 22.52 H:7,903.5 EUR > GBP owner Wesfarmers cut its even during the summer 0.29% L:6,866.9 7,000 £517 U0.2% U2.5% Unemployment current rate prev. month weather losses and retreated to months, prime time to 6,800 €1.12 Australia, has said it plans to complete DIY tasks, Travis FTSE 250 W 0.00 2017 2018 12-month high: €1.16 1.41m 4.2% 4.2% If you thought retailers were close up to 100 stores. Perkins has to compete with low: €1.07 prone to talking about the Travis Perkins employs holiday operators for a slice Source: Thomson Reuters Manufacturing output on the year on last month YEN weather when explaining 27,000 people and supplies of their spare cash. RISERS FALLERS YEN > USD U1.5% U0.4% fluctuations in performance, builders, plumbers and large As a result of all this, the Medica: 142.8p, U 19% on rising McColl’s: 166.5p, V 20.7% on profit warning Huntsworth: 110p, V 18.5% on Retail sales on the year on last month wait until you meet a construction companies with company has had to carry out demand Ferrexpo: 194.8p, U 12.7% on broker upgrade PureTech Health: 157p, falling PR revenues Evraz: 392.6p, ¥110.99 builder’s merchant.