A quote from Frank Field MP, as noted in the Guardian:
The House of Commons has asked me to chair and him to appear. I will chair and he will appear.
Philip Green has picked two wrong opponents. The first is Frank Field. The second the House of Commons.
There must be only one winner in this and I am pretty sure Green will realise that. If not, I very much hope he pays the price of not doing so.
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The House of Commons has some surprising powers: it is a court and can issue a summons. Likewise, there is an offence of contempt, with unlimited fines and imprisonment.
I worry that the Executive will move to establish a precedent that legitimises the impunity of powerful men who refuse to attend, or refuse to answer questions, or who lie to the Commons; there’s a Parliamentary sovereignty issue there – and every occasion on which MP’s fail to call the powerful to account, or turn it into a circus, brings closer the day when a Cabinet Minister’s friend, or patron, or employer is released from all obligations by an Order in Council, or the dissolution of a Commons Committee and its powers.
The Tower of London should be reinstated for its original purpose of locking up any rogue knights, barons, lords and ladies before trial by the state!
It is remarkable to me that Green can have done all the wealth extraction he has and then receive a knighthood, and also advise the government, without realising that Parliament is in effect the highest court in the land. But I suppose his ignorance is an indication of how much he and his ilk have been pandered to and flattered by many politicians.
Surely I’m not alone in hoping he doesn’t attend and ends up in jail? Who knows the unfortunate chap might have to pay a fine – or even some tax…
Can’t help but agree with 2 points there MayP.
1. “But I suppose his ignorance is an indication of how much he and his ilk have been pandered to and flattered by many politicians.”
2. If there was any justice (!?) Green would be forced to pay the £571 million shortfall in the pension plan, and the ‘entrepeneur’ he sold the business to would be in jail. But, failing Green paying, it would be nice to see this greedy tax dodging egoist in jail.
That needs there to have been offence
What was it?
Yes, Richard, there needs to be an offence. In another feed, you showed that the directors of BHS before 2015 “believe that preparing the financial statements (to 30.08.2014) on the going concern basis is appropriate due to the continued financial support of the Company’s ultimate parent undertaking, Taveta Investments (No 2) Limited.” Presumably, the creditors were deprived of this support when the company was sold in April 2015 (if not earlier). Such an action appears to fall within the scope of the Fraud Act 2006.
That would be an interesting suggestion
See what I have written on PWC
May we should make it an offence to make money without creating wealth.