MPs’ rain of blows on Carillion bosses

Landmark event gets hearts beating

THERE was a predictably rough ride for Carillion’s bosses in front of MPs but they added insult to injury to the failed construction company’s interim chief executive Keith Cochrane, repeatedly pronouncing the Scot’s name “Cock-rain”.

As for former finance director Zafar Khan — who got most of the flak — he sat behind a sign which misspelt his name ‘Zafer’ and was put firmly in his place when he foolishly tried to claim he’d actually cut debt during his time there, earning him a punishment beating from committee chairman Rachel Reeves. TO the Landmark London hotel in Marylebone where the British Property Federation held its annual residential dinner. Given the industry’s recent school trip to the Presidents Club, a few intakes of breath were likely when the words

REEVES (pictured) used a pocket money analogy when trying to skewer Cochrane as he fudged questions over whether paying the pension deficit or dividends was the board’s priority. If you give one child £1 a week and another

50p, she asked, “hasn’t the child getting 50p got a point about being a lower priority?” The ex-Carillion man deadbatted. “multiple orgasm” were uttered. Thankfully, guest speaker journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, whose knee was once so alluring to ex-minister Sir Michael Fallon, was alluding to the Press’ delight in political chaos rather than property pervs.