The dastardly Mr Deedes
Whistleblower nicholas Wilson, whose 13- year campaign against HSBC resulted in a multi-million-pound compensation payout to thousands of customers in January, is standing in the general Election. The former solicitor will contest Home Secretary amber Rudd’s seat, Hastings and Rye as an independent candidate. any skeletons he needs exorcising? Says Wilson: ‘I got a drink driving conviction in 2001 and had an affair when I was married.’ Par for the course round Westminster way, surely.
Italian businessman and serial supermodel romancer Flavio Briatore yesterday released About Wealth, a book reflecting on his career as well as his frustrations with bureaucracy. He complains that Italy’s tourist industry fails to cater to his mega-rich friends who he says spend ‘10, 20 or 30 thousand euros a day on a holiday.’ There’s speculation the lecherous old goat is preparing a Donald Trumpstyle bid for political office. Mio dio!
The dull dog new York Times says news Corp chief Rupert Murdoch is on the phone to donald Trump every week ‘encouraging the President when he’s low’. Meanwhile, it claims Murdoch’s son James, chairman of Sky, is building a ‘ survivalist compound’ in rural Canada, that has its own water and energy supply. does James, 44, know something we don’t?
Reporting from the IMF meeting in Washington, BBC economics editor, Kamal Ahmed, says Philip Hammond ‘told’ him he may drop the Tories’ commitment not to raise taxes. As though they’d shared an intimate chat. In fact, the Chancellor ‘told’ this to a group of journalists, of which Ahmed was one, gathered around a table in the British Embassy. Snazzy boulevardier Kamal, 50, likes to make out he’s hugger mugger with the big hitters.
Quizzed by a newspaper on his finances, US rap mogul Coolio, 53, reveals he eschews the stock market, preferring investments such as diamonds and gold. He estimates his enterprises net him about £800,000 a year. He once published a cookery book called Cookin’ With Coolio. Sample instruction: ‘2 eggs – beaten like a red-headed step child.’