Richard wrote: > Yes, I suspect you're right. > > At the 'open forum' event at the London Boat Show, Barry Gardiner claimed that the only > effect of the grant cuts on BW was deferred maintenance. I asked Robin Evans (who was > sitting alongside the Minister) to confirm this: "Robin, could you confirm that the 180 > redundancies would have happened regardless of the grant cuts?" > > He answered: "You know those efficiencies have _always_ been our plan." (I didn't.) He > went on to explain that the DEFRA cuts have just made it happen a little sooner than would > otherwise have been the case. > > So when David Miliband answered that a retreat from freight was BW's decision, not his, > BW would back him up. BW wanted to abolish the freight department, "retire" the > restoration director, and close the Birmingham office anyway.
You are undoubtedly reporting factually but, to be honest, with his boss sitting next to him and leaning on his every word, is it surprising? Would you sit next to *your* boss at a meeting where he was lying through his teeth and suffering considerable discomfort with his audience's reaction and then help his discomfort further by publicly disowning his comments? I just don't think it happens in real life. Roger
