Andrew Neil….where does he find the time?….From the Journalists’ register of interests in Parliament:
Chairman, Press Holdings Media Group (The Spectator, Spectator Health, Life, Money & Australia; and Apollo, the international arts magazine). Chairman, ITP Magazine Group (Dubai). Chairman, The Addison Club (London). Fees for speaking at, hosting or chairing an event were received from the following organisations: Fishburn LLP (law firm), NQC (online procurement solutions), Cushman & Wakefield (property company), Green Mountain (Norwegian company that stores internet servers), BT (telecoms company), Macquarie (infrastructure bank), Aberdeen Asset Management (a fund manager), IBC (organiser of conferences on broadcasting), Bibby (financial services company), Securities Industry Association (financial trade group), Lazard (investment bank), Institute of Loss Adjusters (trade association for the insurance industry), Emap (publisher of business to business magazines, including for construction industry), Association of MBA Providers (provides MBA courses), International Hotel Group (global hotel franchise). RBS (bank), LSL (property finance company), Hogan Lovells (law firm), Barclays (bank), RBS (bank), Edwardian Hotel group (hotel group), Henderson (fund and asset manager), Tilestone (property finance company), SES (satellite company), City & Guilds (trade group), Housing Federation (trade group for housing associations), Frank Knight (estate agents), BT (telecoms company), SES (satellite company), RBS (bank), EY (global consultancy and financial services company), City Properties (umbrella group for various property interests), Chambers (publisher of legal publications), Brewin Dolphin (wealth management company), Food & Drink Association (trade association). (Registered April 2015). Forum for Human Resources and IT Directors (trade association for IT/HR executives); Lloyd’s Bank (banking); Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (trade association for chartered surveyors); European ATM Providers (trade group for cash machine providers in Europe); Raymond Jones Investment Services (wealth management company); Norwood (Jewish charity); Avis (car rental company); Brewin Dolphin (wealth and pension management company); YMCA (organisation of young Christians); IBC Amsterdam (IBC is major trade fair for broadcasting industry); Asset TV (digital media company); HSBC (banking); Securities & Finance Industry Forum (gathering of City professionals); Mitie (energy savings services and solutions company); OEE Consulting (business improvement and transformation firm); Construction News (trade magazine on construction); RBS (banking); KPMG (audit, tax and advisory services); Aberdeen Asset Management (asset management company); RSMR (investment research company); Environmental Services Group (provides services for waste and energy management industry). (Registered January 2016).
Is he a journalist? Is he a proper TV presenter? He needs to spend very little time on his BBC job. Someone writes a couple of questions on a sheet of paper and he reads it off. All he has to do then is interrupt the speaker insisting that the question has not been answered and that the viewers want an answer. He could be replaced with a parrot. eg. Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, what is your real name Tommy Robinson, what is your real name, Pretty Polly….Why did you change your name? Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, the viewers want to know, Pretty Polly.
He does often seem to have a different writer of his questions to many others at the BBC, do you not think?
As for interrupting, yes he does, but strangely quite often also those from other than the Conservatives or UKIP, do you not think?
Mallard, Yes, I agree he has a few different question writers and they have occasionally supplied him with material for non UKIPers. But generally, he can become a listener to many far out lefties.
I wonder what financial arrangements he has in place to ‘protect’ all the fees he must acquire ?
General, Personal Service company like all highly paid Beeboids !
Almost certainly he has his remuneration paid into a service company and I expect that his tax affairs take advantage of all the normal and legal ways of avoiding paying tax. I suspect that many other BBC employees have very similar remuneration and tax arrangements. The difference between Mr Neil and most of the others is that he doesn’t stink to high heaven of rank hypocrisy because he is impartial and unbiased and doesn’t take a leftist stance while avoiding paying tax but advocating that the rest of us to pay ever higher taxes to provide ever more public spending.
I suspect the issue is , have HMRC applied IR35 test to Beeboids and what was the result ? I suspect that most would fail . Maybe highly paid Beeboids should publish their tax details. After all we are the ones who are paying them !
Nicky Cambell is a little less bombastic when the subject of earnings comes up. He has several times in the past refused to say how much he gets paid as he claims he is not an employee of the BBC. I suggest therefore he has at least one company registered to receive the BBC fees and no doubt ‘ease’ his considerable tax burden.
These are almost all people who would fail the IR35 test. The issue is why are HMRC not challenging them ?
So what does this show us Alan?
It shows us that he is not totally reliant upon the BBC shilling. He is the only fair and balanced BBC interviewer there is. He gives the right a good kicking, he gives the left a good kicking.
If you have watched him you will see he has notes. Probably not researched by him, but probably at his request. His questions do not appear to be written down, he plays it by ear, knowing he has the facts.
His interview style is very simple. He asks a question and will give people time to answer. He will interrupt after giving them time, if he feels they are not answering. He will ask the question again and then usually give up if he is getting party line rubbish.
Just do a youtube search on his name to see the car crash interviews he has undertaken.
Glenn, quite agree !
by far and away the best, most well-informed journo on TV.
We wouldn’t have a problem if they were all like him.
Good luck to the man.