Lucrative work for firms that can run a tight ship

A BATTLE is brewing on the South Coast over lucrative contracts to run Portsmouth naval base for the Royal Navy.

Industry chatter has it that the Ministry of Defence is gearing up to award the tenders – worth about £ 1 billion – in the next few months. However, the delayed Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy could hamper matters.

BAE Systems has had the gig for more than six years and sources claim it is odds on to keep control of the core business of maintaining warships.

But the future of other work – from managing tug boats to cleaning and catering – is less clear.

Several other bidders have sized up the job, but have been unable to make the numbers stack up.

Those still in the running include outsourcer Mitie which wants to expand its lucrative defence work after taking over Interserve’s facilities management business last year.

Forth eM oD, it’ s a question of what shall we do with the sailors’ cleaners...

BRANDS are of t en encouraged to spend their way out of recession, and investors in advertising stocks will be hoping that happens this year.

Ad execs recently gathered (virtually) at a Pimento networking event for an address by one of its celebrated sons, David Wheldon, former marketing boss of RBS, Barclays, Vodafone and Coca-Cola.

He reckons Boris and co have undone all the work achieved to build ‘Brand Britain’ after the 2012 Olympics, and lamented the State’s Covid ads. He said: ‘ Ask someone now what Brand Britain is and they’re just bemused.’

Sounds like Soho’s agencies are already hankering for a big gig when Britain tries to rebuild tourism and boost international trade after the pandemic.