Any Other Business – 02/04
FOLLOWING more than two years of slapping banks on the wrist as the media officer of the Treasury Committee and the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, James Abbott is off to work for one. He starts his new role as group media relations officer at RBS tomorrow, having finished in parliament yesterday. Good job RBS doesn’t take things too personally. Abbott has sent out a wide range of critical comments to the press about banks on behalf of Andrew Tyrie, including this beauty from November 2013: “The actions and reputation of RBS have discouraged would-be customers and reduced SME activity.” Ouch. As Abbott pointed out in his farewell email, his new role will no doubt keep him in touch with his old colleagues…
“THIS time next year Rodney, we’ll be millionaires,” said Del Boy, in possibly one of the most famous lines from Only Fools and Horses – but we’d wager he wouldn’t be saying millionaires today. According to Oracle Capital Group, wealth begins at £10m. It seems 55 per cent of those surveyed believe you need £10m or more to be deemed wealthy. A further 20 per cent think we need £100m in the coffers to be wealthy. According to the study, two thirds of people think celebrity culture has skewed our perceptions of wealth with their ostentatious riches. Tech billionaires get a nod too (and not surprising given the recent spate of billion dollar acquisitions and floats). But to be fair, “tenmillionaires” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.