The dastardly Mr Deedes
Apple-cheeked Centrica boss Iain Conn, 54, reacts crossly to government plans to cap household energy bills, which he says could ‘absolutely’ make the British Gas owner loss-making. He tells Radio 4: ‘I believe there are people at the heart of this government who just don’t believe in the free market.’ Maybe so. But Centrica’s decision to award Conn a recent £1m pay rise, taking his annual package to £4.2m, hardly helps his argument.
Did French luxury goods tycoon Bernard Arnault feel more comfortable making yesterday’s £10bn acquisition of Christian Dior now French Presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron is through to the first round of voting? The Louis Vuitton boss, 68, now worth £39bn, has been quietly supportive of the former Rothschild banker’s candidacy. Macron’s cougar crone wife Brigitte has been allowed to borrow Louis Vuitton garments throughout the campaign.
Investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald has reportedly agreed to pay Barack Obama £312,000 to speak at its health care conference in September, a move that will provoke accusations of hypocrisy. The President liked to distance himself from Wall Street, remarking, somewhat crassly, in 2009:
‘I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat-cat bankers.’ The Obamas have already bagged £46m for their memoirs.
Bank of England officials will be delighted cadaverous Treasury Select Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie, 60, is standing down at the election. How they would dread Tyrie’s beaky face bearing down on them at hearings, probing with his meticulous precision. Shouldn’t Jacob Rees-Mogg now replace him as chairman? His gentle needling of manqué governor Mark Carney this past year has made for terrific sport.
Re Carney, the governor welcomed Princess Anne to Threadneedle Street this week for a reception for charity Carers Trust, of which she is president. The Prince of Wales received a guided tour of the Bank in December at Carney’s invitation. Incidentally, Canada hasn’t allowed citizens to receive honours from foreign governments since 1919. Will someone tactfully warn the Palace that Carney is applying for UK citizenship?
Have you any gossip for our City diary? Email: mrdeedes@dailymail.co.uk