Daily Mail

The dastardly Mr Deedes

-

Former deputy Bank of England governor Sir Paul Tucker, 59, was the only big name player cited in this week’s Panorama not to comment on his alleged involvemen­t in the Libor scandal. What’s happened to him? After a stint at Harvard University, he now chairs think-tank the Systemic Risk Council. A tall, brooding figure, Tucker, 59, blames the Libor mess for scotching his chances of succeeding Lord King as governor. Relations with his old boss can’t have helped either. ‘He and Merv couldn’t stand each other,’ I am advised. Jurassic investor George Soros has hired UBS executive Anna Fitzpatric­k as his chief investment officer. It’s the first time thrice-married Soros, 86, has placed a female in charge of his £20bn portfolio. Is she up to it? No questionin­g the attractive brunette’s work ethic. During the height of the 2008 financial crisis, Fitzpatric­k, 47, struggled through the long days with severe sickness. It was several months before she even noticed she was pregnant. Why did Barclays chief Jes Staley feel compelled to try and unmask a whistleblo­wer who’d made ‘personal’ allegation­s about a senior executive? Cool-headed and a compassion­ate campaigner on diversity issues – brother Peter is a noted Aids and gay rights activist – it’s odd he should get so riled. Staley, 60, remains popular at Barclays, though that apparently hasn’t stopped traders privately betting on whether he’ll be gone by next month’s AGM. City commentato­r Justin Urquhart Stewart, red braces-wearing founder of Seven Investment Management, is flattered to have been invited to Israel on a Roman dig. Examining the site on a map, he asked his prospectiv­e guide: ‘Aren’t those the Golan Heights?’ Guide: ‘Oh, you know the area, that’s great.’ JU-S: ‘Yes, it’s currently a war zone.’ Cue stony silence. The guide eventually chirruped: ‘Oh, don’t worry Mr Yoghurt, you will be safely in a trench.’ After United Airlines staff were filmed dragging a passenger kicking and screaming from one of its aircrafts, rival budget carriers smell blood. Southwest Airlines yesterday unveiled their catchy new advertisin­g slogan: ‘We beat our competitor­s. Not you.’

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom