Business Diary: November 5

STEPHEN Hester spent the last five years in the toughest job in UK financial services at the head of state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland.
Stephen HesterStephen Hester
Stephen Hester

The banker stepped up to the role in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis after a career in high-flying roles at Credit Suisse, Abbey National and 
British Land.

Speaking at the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards on Thursday evening, Mr Hester 
recalled some early experiences 
during his formative years in North Yorkshire.

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“Thirty-five years ago I was delivering the Yorkshire Post as a paperboy in my evening job, just 30 miles or so away from here. Thirty-one or 32 years ago I was packing Polos in York in the Rowntrees factory.”

Asked what he planned to do next, Mr Hester said: “Holiday, but sooner or later I will be back in the world of business.”

Heard the one about...

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls was reminiscing at the CBI conference about how he has worked with five CBI Director-Generals over the years, including “the unforgettable Lord Digby Jones”.

Mr Balls told delegates: “I was reminiscing with Digby last week and I reminded him about the secondary schools enterprise challenge he came up to launch with me in Wakefield.

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“‘Oh dear,’ Digby said. ‘Wasn’t that the one where my speech got off to a bit of a bad start?’

“It certainly did,” Mr Balls told delegates. “Digby began what became a passionate speech about enterprise education to a group of over 200 14-year-olds and their teacher, with a totally inappropriate joke, about a lawyer, a pelican and which one could stick his bill where...

“The actual story was rather more graphic in the telling. As I looked out from the platform, I saw all the teachers turn completely white with shock,” Mr Balls told the conference.

“But I can report the 14-year-olds all thought it was totally hilarious!”

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Mr Balls ended his speech by telling delegates the story of the enterprise competition he launched with Lord Jones.

“The winners were a group of 14-year-olds from a local school. They designed a website to sell Wakefield as the rhubarb capital of Britain with a tourist tour and promotions. It was fabulous,” Mr Balls told the conference.

“They partnered with a local business, found out that the things they enjoyed doing on computers in the evenings were things people got paid for doing, and came down to the House of Commons to get their prize.

“Their teacher told me afterwards what a brilliant assembly they did telling the whole school about how they had won. And she said to me: ‘What you have to understand is these three lads had never been to London before. This competition and enterprise education has transformed their view of themselves and what they can achieve’.

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“So I say let us give that same chance to every young person: modern, rigorous qualifications, enterprise education and a determination to raise aspiration. That is how we use the talents of all.”

Wheel of misfortune

BRITAIN’S cycling team was the envy of the world at the 2012 London Olympics.

The success of stars like Sir Bradley Wiggins has encouraged thousands of people to hop on their bikes, but, sadly, some of these budding Olympians have suffered painful mishaps.

Last Cawthra Feather (LCF), which has offices in Leeds, Bradford and Ilkley, has launched a specialist claims service to help the growing number of cyclists who become involved in accidents every year. The service is overseen by personal injury lawyer Paul Morris, who also competes in cyclocross events and time trials for Keighley and Craven Athletic Club.

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According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 19,000 cyclists are killed or injured in accidents reported to the police every year. Many others are, of course, injured in incidents that go unreported.

Mr Morris said: “Britain’s recent success in the Tour De France, combined with the Olympics, has helped to put cycling in the spotlight and has resulted in thousands of new cyclists hitting the roads. Unfortunately, this also means accident numbers are increasing as well.

“There have been several high profile accidents recently such as James Cracknell, who had a near fatal accident in the US, then last year Sir Bradley Wiggins was involved in a collision with a van pulling out of a garage forecourt. This type of incident is fairly typical, with the most common accidents involving vehicles pulling out on cyclists or turning left across the cyclists’ path.

“Other types of claims that we can help with relate to potholes, road surfaces, debris, loose animals or even bike defects.”