The dastardly Mr Deedes
redoubtable Post office boss moya Greene’s accelerated appointment to easyJet’s board to find a replacement for i TV-bound Carolyn mc Call raises eyebrows. as a former transport minister in her native Canada, and a proven FTSE 100 boss, some think moya should consider herself for the job. it would mean inevitable jousts with the carrier’s excitable majority shareholder, Sir Stelios haji-ioannou. but after her long tussles with Post office union reps, blonde-bobbed moya’s well versed in keeping angry silverbacks in order.
Tory peer and multi-millionaire businessman Lord Howard of Rising – a friend of the Queen – took a swipe at the CBI in the House of Lords this week. He mocked it for consistently getting on the wrong side of history and making a mess of its predictions, particularly on Brexit. ‘The CBI’s record of forecasting makes Mystic Meg look like the prophet Elijah,’ he said. Here, here! Though I suspect that is Greville Howard, 76, off the invitations list for future CBI dinners.
BBC’s sleekly attired economics editor Kamal ahmed, 49, was listed among the corporation’s top earners yesterday, inside the £150,000-£199,000 salary bracket. Worth every penny, i’m sure. but his equally accomplished colleague, tousle-haired business editor Simon Jack, 46, failed to make the list at all. Deep waters.
Re BBC fees, sensitive Amstrad mogul Lord Sugar lends support to Gary Lineker over his £1.8m salary, tweeting, with Don Corleone-like solemnity: ‘You should not worry. You are in a market where presenters are paid at going rates. You have shown loyalty.’ His Lordship’s Apprentice fee wasn’t published yesterday but, to give the old brute his due, he donates every penny to charity.
embattled british airways has made a cheery new safety video, featuring foulmouthed chef Gordon ramsay, comedian rob brydon and rowan atkinson (as mr bean) instructing passengers what to do during an in-flight emergency. Faced with this nauseating trio, some passengers might welcome a sudden loss in cabin pressure, but perhaps i’m being unkind.
Have you any gossip for our City diary? Email: mrdeedes@dailymail.co.uk