OSBORNE’S PR ADVISER GOES BACK TO BLACK
ALL CHANGE in George Osborne’s advisory team, as The Capitalist hears the Chancellor’s head of press, Jean-Christophe Gray, will be replaced by Jonathan Black as the Treasury’s top spinner by the end of the week.
Gray, the man responsible for briefing the media throughout the banking crisis, will help the Treasury control costs as he moves to a policy role in the Public Expenditure Group; Black joins the chancellor’s inner circle after spending the last three years as head of the Treasury’s budget, strategy and tax team.
The new job marks a return to policy for Gray, who was the head of the EU Finances team prior to joining the communications office in March 2009 as then chancellor Alistair Darling’s spokesman.
The government will announce the reshuffle in the next 24 hours through a “very short” press statement confirming the switch from Gray to Black, who has spent the last two weeks learning the tricks of the trade in a handover period.
One thing that won’t change though is the mobile number for the Treasury PR hotline, now in its sixth generation after being handed down from adviser to adviser as part of a strict regime to prevent past PR leaders continuing their relationship with the press…
LAST RESPECTS
THE BROKING community turned out in force at yesterday’s memorial service at St Bride’s on Fleet Street for Citywire’s Phil Cozens, the man described as “the father of modern stock market reporting”.
Les Ames, the head of dealing at WH Ireland known for his 1970s appearances on Top of the Pops, sang My Friend in tribute to the man he met as an 18-year-old at JM Finn. Lawrence Lever, who founded Citywire in 1999, gave the eulogy.
Nick Bealer of Cornhill Capital, Eden Financial’s Roy Cutts, Michael Grimwood of Seymour Pierce, Miles Stuart-William of Canaccord and Roy Phillips of Northland Capital were also among the 100 City and media names paying tribute.
CITY SWINGERS
WIMBLEDON came to the square mile this week for the Pro-Swingball Challenge, where teams from Deutsche Bank, UBS and Lloyds Banking Group were among the City swingers competing at Broadgate Circle.
Inspired by the live action from Wimbledon, Deutsche Bank emerged as the winner of the contest – purely coincidentally to the fact the bank entered the most teams – although Judy Tang and Ben Clapperton from Lloyds Banking Group (pictured above) deserve a mention for their Henman-style persistence.
FINANCIAL ANIMALS
NATASHA Archdale made a name for herself creating giant collages of female nudes from copies of financial newspapers, before turning her attentions to Margaret Thatcher, Gordon Brown and Bernie Madoff (left).
For her next trick, the artist plans to base herself in the heart of the City in the Royal Exchange next Thursday (7 July), where she will complete her new exhibition The Financial Animal in the square mile’s first public art studio – and she is inviting the City to contribute their own newspaper cuttings for use in the final pieces.
Become part of the art by sending in this week’s most topical stories to Felicity Hardingham, The Royal Exchange, EC3V 3LP by Wednesday 6 July.