[HonestCrew]

VK – . I am tired and jet-lagged. If I miss an apostrophe, comma, etc just let it be mate.

I know this forum is not a popularity contest but if you let these things go and concentrate on the points made it will improve your respect ten fold.

End of.

[BigDog.]

Walsh is on BBC Question Time next Thursday, 4th October.

I hope he follows Nick Clegg’s “I’m Sorry” by apologising for merging with IB – paying over the odds; getting his view of the Spanish Economy so wrong at a critical time (viewing it as merely being badly portrayed whilst being clueless that it actually was a basket case) and not realising the IB Cash account was probably due to it investing diddly squat in its aging fleet. As Bucksnet notes – Shackling BA to a Corpse…

[BigDog.]

The Program will be based in Manchester following the Labour annual conference. One can apply to be a join the audience – maybe even pose a question …. something along the lines – Should senior executive bonuses be paid when shareholders are neither receiving a dividend nor benefiting from increasing share value?

In reality it is mainly the headlining topics of the current week which get on the agenda so LHR and transport policy is unlikely to be discussed unless it gets back into the headlines.

In addition to Walsh, Ken Clarke MP (Con) Douglas Alexander MP (Lab) and Baroness Kramer (Lib) make up a strong panel.

What Question would you pose?

[BigDog.]

As breaking news indicates Spanish banks are lining up for a 60 Billion Euro bail out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19763756

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt-crisis-live/9572499/French-budget-and-Spanish-bank-stress-tests-live.html

and some newspaper pundits speculating increasingly on Spain exiting the Euro, it could be an uncomfortable experience for Walsh if events progress and asked … Should Spain exit the Euro what will be the impact on IAG? What Currency will it report in?

Question time on 4th October could become more interesting.

[transtraxman]

@Big Dog 27/9 22.49hrs. @Big Dog 28/9 16.43hrs.

Please do not speculate on events.
Two posts in two days in the same vein sound to me like you are trying to precipitate events. In that case I question your motives.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19763756 (today at 17.19GMT)

All this supposed need has already been factored into valuations so anything else is speculative. With regard to that piece of news is that the banks which matter (the six biggest) are all profitable.

With regard to Iberia do not be too hasty. Iberia Express is already profitable, Vueling (45% share) is also becoming a healthy threat to other European airlines. Iberia Regional-Air Nostrum(franchised) provides a good feeder/connecting service.

Iberia mainline has a good niche in the market. However, it needs updating its fleet and improving its service – both of which take time. Remember that any planes on order are not BA´s nor Iberia´s but IAG´s. That means the holding company decides where the new aircraft are destined – i.e. where most profitable. If that means they are destined to the Madrid – Buenos Aires route then so be it.

Some people tend to forget that BA was in a mess at the merger time thus forcing the hands of the negotiators to accept a lower percentage of the merged company for BA´s shareholders. I think that the present difficult economic situation for Spain will (perversely?) benefit IAG in sorting out the problems of Iberia sooner than initially expected. Remember the main competitors (in Europe at least) have still not sorted out their problems.

[BigDog.]

Unfortunately, always good for some liberal candour, Ken Clarke has disappeared from BBC1 22:35 Question time advertised line-up
(edit Good old excuse Ken has made it, Kramer is VFM,though panel devalued with an appearance by J S-P)

And why doesn’t Walsh allow the BA CEO Keith Williams Airtime?

I hope Spain and the Euro come up but I doubt it, whilst any question on transport will probably be more about the train franchise as opposed to LHR – though Boris’s timely venting may give it the opportunity. Oneworld won’t be mentioned as it is too niche, neither will the 2008 LHR crash landing of 777 flight 038 which was settled out of court today.

As it is the Labour conference it will be more political points scoring around Milliband Jnr’s leadership (PM) potential (and marked lack of policy). The usual form over substance.

edit – Overall a good stolid performance by Walsh – especially wrt the final question on SE Airport Capacity, tactfully lugubrious not alienating any party or project.

[BeckyBoop]

BA had been after Iberia well before WW came along and is one of Robert Aylings babies not WW.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/202642.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ayling

Even Rod Eddington was on the prowl

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2865159/Eddington-maps-out-strategy-to-land-Iberia.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-198546/BA-eyes-Iberia-merger.html

[BeckyBoop]

BA had been after Iberia well before WW came along and is one of Robert Aylings babies not WW.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/202642.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ayling

Even Rod Eddington was on the prowl

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2865159/Eddington-maps-out-strategy-to-land-Iberia.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-198546/BA-eyes-Iberia-merger.html

[BigDog.]

and your point is?

Circumstances change.

Say your offer to buy a flat in an apartment block was accepted. You get a survey, start measuring for your drapes, put a deposit down, but the final contracts have not been signed. The rains come and wash-away the foundations of the building, it is still standing though (see picture). Some may deny the precarious condition and continue to buy it at the previously agreed price (Walsh), some would try to renegotiate, most would walk away (maybe losing their deposit).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2208269/UK-weather-Block-flats-Newburn-evacuated-floods-wash-away-foundations.html

[BeckyBoop]

I dont think WW is to blame. I think its Ayling. He might of agreed something years ago with IB and WW has just completed what was already started because be made some agreement…. :\

[BigDog.]

Becky – many engagements do not end in marriage thus avoiding subsequent damaging divorces. Despite being engaged, you can walk away at any time, even on the day of prior to the wedding ceremony.

Wrt Question Time Airport Capacity – I actually agree with Walsh’s view, unless the parties agree to KC’s point (unlikely). – All parties agree to being bound by the outcome of the report prior to the election, so avoiding making it a localised election issue.

Personally I believe technology will go a long way to resolving the issue without concreting over more of the precious limited UK land mass especially in the SE. ( After the Netherlands and Belgium we are the third most densely populated European country, more than twice that of France)

http://soe.stanford.edu/research/ate/lele.html

and what happened to ..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6113418.stm

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/18/geared_turbofan/

[AnthonyDunn]

@ BigDog

Personally, I thought that WW’s overall performance was pretty polished and he was remarkably phlegmatic about the LHR third runway issue, future SE England hub capacity etc without ruffling anyone’s feathers. But there again, unlike his BASSA dispute, he didn’t particularly need to ruffle any feathers bearing in mind his central thesis: nothing is ever going to happen regarding airport expansion so we will just have to work around this.

Much as one agrees with and admires KC – still plugging away after all these years – and his laudable ambition to have cross-party support for future airport plans, we all know the essential truth in the comment that as soon as anywhere is selected, the LabLiar party will instantly perform a volte face/dance on a pin-head and shriek blue murder about the plans. It’s in their DNA, they can’t help themselves: any political advantage, anytime, anywhere.

Otherwise, thanks for the Stanford URL: very interesting.

[Author]

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