The cheeky bar steward, asking for billions more from us so he can maintain his i$land-owning mega-fortune. Unbelievably (maybe not), the government entertained this well before the 80% salary offer (for those laid off to be taken back on). I mean, they saw him before the trillion they scraped together to lend the public. At the time they spoke to Sir Rich Bar-steward, the Spanish government hand put its hand in its pocket to the tune of £200bn; us, £12bn.
That's not what Branson did. That's media briefing against him. He was asked a question and he answered that the airline business as a whole will need about 7.5b bailout which is true. Almost every company worldwide has had to lay off staff so why pick on him? He has decided to put 215m (I think) into the pot himself. What would be nice is if all the packages announced by the government at the budget or since then, offering various different rescue packages, if they actually existed so that companies and employees could access these funds, which currently they still can't and until then nobody will know what caveats exist but until then companies are having no choice but to lay staff off.
I am not fond of Branson, one of those millionaire pseudo socialists but I agree Chris, inaccurate news must be corrected. I think the government should stop companies laying off staff, esp as they are footing the bill now.
Even when the government implements it's varies strands of help and assistance it is still predicted the UK unemployment could rise from under 4% to 8%. The UK is very good at creating jobs so eventually the level could return to the recent historical low levels. In Europe there could be devastation on the employment front, France's current 9% could rise to 15%. Spain, Greece and Italy even worse. Germany is predicted to also suffer badly.
If only the government was paying the bill. They say a lot but so far they are not. Companies are desperate now , even more than 2 weeks ago when promises were made.
Fair play, Chris, I was taking that from media reports, but I accept you must have an inside track on this. I didn’t know about the £215m either, so good for him. I withdraw my comment. I have heard the government’s announcements aren’t accessible. Many businesses need the money ‘yesterday’, having laid off staff and closed their doors.
Chris, arn't the payments forthcoming in April backdated to early March? It requires the banks to be supportive in the meantime. Surely they will behave if they know the money is definitely coming from the government?
OK. One for BB, then. Lucky escape for the Roar that their game against the Phoenix has been postponed. There again, if the match is played it is now likely to be played at the Cake Tin, rather than Australia. The Phoenix players spent 10 days in quarantine in Australia so that they could play their remaining games, home and away, in Australia. The A League has now stopped all games until the crisis is over, so the Phoenix players can go home to Wellington, to spend another 15 days in isolation. They will have spent 25 days in isolation for nothing. They will have to get home quickly, though. Everything here shuts tomorrow.
It does seem odd that, having been isolated for ten days, they have to follow that up for another fifteen straightaway. Wellington have dodged a bullet there though - with Scott McDonald banging in the goals, and ex Hornet Tom Aldred pulling the strings at the back, a resurgent Brisbane Roar have shot up the table. Home or away, the Kiwis haven't a chance...
Telling article in the guardian yesterday, in which a sports writer interviewed a WHO official off the record. Basically we are deluded if we think sport will return to normal in the next few months.. Unlikely to be any jamboree of sports in July August..
Watford FC is offering all of its facilities to the NHS, in particular Watford General, to help fight the coronavirus. Duxbury has said "WFC will do whatever it takes to offer its fullest support to the NHS and its people at a time when it is clearly needed most".
So true ... in that era we did it with a whole wealth of qualities of which money was not one! Incidentally that GT was so hot on teams.... the team greater than the individual... Maslow's theory of synergy 1+1=11.... etc ....etc