12 The Sunday Times February 3, 2019 BUSINESS Andrew Lynch LETTERS Send your letters, including non-urgent and wholly for them. And as “poverty” in Dyson’s move east flusters East I’m sorry I’ll For those in peril SIGNALS full name and address, avoidable problem. To this country is relative, unless AND NOISE . to: The Sunday Times, comply with the HMRC we all get paid the same there For the chief executive of West of England in Bristol read that again in Swansea 1 London Bridge Street, change I will have to invest in will always be poverty Rolls-Royce, last week might last week. It’s never easy to be on top And finally, an everyday London SE1 9GF. Or email a software bolt-on for my new (although the term insults the have seemed a perfect “Having signed up to do form in the early hours of a story of City folk travelling [email protected] accounting suite, costing £150 world’s genuine poor). moment to declare that this talk, imagine my horror dark winter’s morning. on God’s Wonderful Railway. Letters may be edited a month, every month — However, the UK could be “the UK can be a natural when I realised the timing of In the grand tradition of A City slicker, whom I can there is no purchase option. heading to true equality of home for global the announcement,” Radio 4 Today’s presenters, identify only as Maurice, Brexit is bad enough, but a What narrow, inward- income. No, not because of engineering and technology squirmed the church-organ- business correspondent recently took the last train VAT shake-up too? Absurd looking decision-making Comrade Corbyn — but when champions”. playing engineer. Dominic O’Connell — once of west to his country seat after I read with interest your body has decided that this artificial intelligence and If you also serve as One wonders whether this parish — introduced an evening with clients at a article about a VAT shake-up absurd timing and the robotics have eliminated a non-executive director someone on Dyson’s board Bob Sanguinetti last week as big brokerage. (“All this . and now digital ludicrously high cost of most jobs and we are all on a for Sir James Dyson, as might have questioned the chief executive of the How they passed the tax returns too!”, last week). implementation for citizen’s basic income. Warren East does, you timing of the HQ move to Chamber of Shitting before evening I do not know, but We are a small business thousands of businesses is a David Milburn, Dereham, might want to maintain Singapore, given Dyson’s quickly correcting himself Maurice assures me: “They that imports from and useful application of time and Norfolk radio silence. strident views on Brexit — along more nautical lines. weren’t drinking lemonade.” exports to the Continent. money at such a critical time? However, East, 57, did not even if it was motivated more After three decades in the Our weary traveller set his Rather than embarking on its This proposal and the Small investors are the real let down the audience for by the prospect of a Jeremy Royal Navy, Sanguinetti, 53, phone alarm to wake him for Ayesha Vardag, divorce Making Tax Digital (MTD) timing are risible and those victims of Tesco’s travails his lecture on engineering Corbyn government. is likely to have heard much his connection at Swindon. lawyer to socialites such as initiative, which complicates behind it need to cancel it In his Agenda column last at the University of the Perhaps a still small voice worse at sea. The next thing he knew, he the Marchioness of our activities, HM Revenue & and think again. You could week, Oliver Shah discussed asking: “Do you think that’s was being roused by the Northampton, on juggling Customs would be more not make it up. the Serious Fraud Office’s awfully wise?” guard. He looked at the her £20m-turnover business usefully employed in Tony Gardiner, Woodstock, case against Tesco (“A toxic JUST SAYING . Where is Sergeant Wilson FUNNY BUSINESS station sign: “S-w . .” with six children. providing guidance to those Oxfordshire culture was the real villain at when you need him? Swansea! It was 1am. of us struggling with how to Tesco”). Like many, I kept my Minutes later, Maurice was MAGAZINE, PAGE 8 account for VAT and tariffs in Educated or not, the poor Tesco shares when they in the back of a Jag heading the event of a no-deal Brexit. are always with us peaked at n more than 400p. We need to The trials for Gloucester. He asked the We are building up stock Last week, you headlined a A good firm. plan for all driver: “So what are you TWITTER POLL ahead of March 29 to ensure letter “Education and But is it not really the fault, of golfers doing here at this time?” we can continue trading in training are key to eradicating in the first instance, of Sir eventualities Richard Boath, one of the “Do you work in the City, Yes No April and May. The cashflow poverty”. I think you meant Terry Leahy, who dived Tesco Barclays bankers on trial by any chance?” the driver impact of this and the “reducing” poverty. into America, South Korea over fraud charges, quipped shot back straight away. And potential change to VAT and Better educated/trained and China? What were they in a recorded call played to then the pound coin 57% 43% duty payments is severe. Britons should help to reduce thinking of, invading foreign the court that he had a house dropped: Maurice was not MTD is clearly less important skilled immigration, which lands? A friend of mine was in Brazil, where “there’s no the first slicker to be rescued. than ensuring we can would be a good thing. But a sent to South Korea as No 2 extradition treaty”. “How often does this continue to trade, and it adds great many jobs, while there. Although he never Boath, 60, sometimes happen?” he asked. “Every yet further costs. essential to the proper criticised Tesco, he was never plays golf closer to home — at other week, I’d say,” the While Brexit is functioning of society, confident of their decision. Coombe Hill in Surrey. driver answered. unavoidable and must be require neither high levels of Then followed the fraud One of the club’s members “What’s the farthest treated as a business education nor training — and allegations, and the shares Outgoing BT chief is Robert Jay, better known as you’ve had to drive?” Tesco could cut 9,000 jobs challenge, with the MTD these are typically the lowest- dived. We minor investors executive Gavin Patterson Mr Justice Jay — the judge in “Reading.” and remove fresh food initiative — effective from paid jobs. We can’t all be took the toll of all this but we on stockpiling equipment, charge of the Barclays case. So raise a glass to John the counters from 90 stores. April 1 — HMRC is pointing a brain surgeons. There can be are never mentioned and I such as set-top boxes, I doubt there will be much Indomitable Cabbie. But just Will this annoy shoppers rifle at my feet and pulling the overeducation: for example, am still holding my shares, hubs and handsets for friendly banter at the 19th the one. You don’t want to more than it helps profits? trigger. We have been allowed a third of graduates are in fool that I am. Brexit hole, though. miss your connection. @ST_ Business a modest deferment, but this non-graduate employment Ray Cook, Littlestone-on-Sea, is a totally unnecessary, because there isn’t demand Kent 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 2.1% 2.3% became the country’s first three months of last year was USD > GBP Centamin large-scale modern gold mine. 137,600 ounces — up 17% on 8,000 CPI including housing current rate prev. month Centamin is hoping to the previous quarter, but $1.31 2.0% 2.2% move on from a down 11% year on year. 7,600 V 0.01 Retail prices index current rate prev. month offers the disappointing few months, Analysts at Panmure 12-month high: $1.44 low: $1.24 when it warned that full-year Gordon have a 140p target on 7,200 2.7% 3.2% EURO output would take a hit due to the stock, claiming that many 7,020.22 Average weekly earnings on prev. month on last year chance to EUR > GBP disruptions, low grades of of its problems have been 211.00 H:7,903.5 6,800 gold and a lack of available addressed. It is due to 3.10% L:6,536.5 £527 V0.2% U3.3% Unemployment current rate prev. month strike gold equipment. All this led to provide an update in its full- 6,400 €1.14 swelling costs and two year results this month. FTSE 250 V 0.02 2018 12-month high: €1.16 1.37m 4.0% 4.1% Precious metals have long production downgrades. Centamin, led by former low: €1.10 Source: Thomson Reuters Manufacturing output on the year on last month provided a refuge for Last month, Centamin said Sukari general manager YEN investors fearful of stock that output from Sukari had Andrew Pardey, has also RISERS FALLERS YEN > USD V0.4% V0.3% market volatility, and there’s fallen 13% in the past year to strengthened its board with Ferrexpo: 262.1p U 30.7% on broker Petra Diamonds: 32p V 28.8% on lower revenue Circassia Retail sales on the year on last month no better Anderson shelter 472,418 ounces.