I am experimenting with a new approach to make these emails even more accessible. Today (relatively) serious content which might help you do your jobs will appear in blue. The remaining self-indulgent clap trap will remain in black. Thoughts on whether this is a useful new feature welcome.
Hair today
And so the two protagonists came face to face across the dispatch box for the first time. One an impressive, forensically detailed analyst of public policy with a long and well-deserved reputation for searing cross examination. The other, Boris Johnson. How would the two compare, we all wondered. After all, they have such differing approaches it is almost like they come from opposite ends of the spectrum. In the end it was quite remarkable.
Not Boris, obviously. I think we all knew that without access to the barbers; with Carrie presumably otherwise occupied; and with Dilyn or Larry a risk too far, the “please elect me I am quite sensible, honest” shearing of early December would have reverted to the look of a man whose head is in one of those Christmas table ornaments that when you shake it the snow goes everywhere. And you have just shaken it very, very hard. But, to the huge surprise of the onlooking nation, Keir “Don’t call me Sir” Starmer’s complexly constructed quiff was bearing up remarkably. Admittedly it, somewhat suspiciously, doesn’t seem to have grown much – leading one to suppose that he might have been sneaking out for illicit trims – probably round at Professor Lockdown’s house. But if we give him the benefit of the doubt, and choose not to notice that it is an outstanding amount of product that is keeping the hirsute edifice in place, it was a hands down, no questions crushing victory for the new man. No wonder Bozzer wants to do his big announcement well away from him.
Hard & Delfas-t
FCA’s Executive Director of International Nausicaa Delfas has given a speech on FCA’s reaction to Covid-19 and its ongoing preparations for Brexit. Now, I know what you are thinking. Executive Director of International what? But let’s try and get past that. No great surprises in this but it is quite a useful collation of their announcements thus far. Plus confirmation that FCA believes the equivalence assessments are on track for end June. If only that meant anything to us.
As previously billed, we are setting up a session with EY on compliance under lockdown that will run through the areas where FCA has flexed its rules. This is likely to be in the week of 25th May and invites should be out early next week.
Tiger in the woods?
As with all major incidents such as we are now experiencing, we will forevermore associate special memories with certain parts of the country, some of which we had barely heard of before. Marston Moritaine is now synonymous with Captain/Colonel Tom and his somewhat calculating family. Brighton beech has become the focal point of covidiocy. Liverpool the epicentre of shattered dreams – if only they had concentrated against Watford. But here in this small corner of North West Kent we have a more powerful symbol of the emerging madness, with the news that ten armed police officers and a helicopter were scrambled to the quiet village of Underriver after a 999 call reporting that a tiger was loose and wandering near to a footpath. Turned out that it was just a model. But, more intriguingly, a model that has been there for 20 years. Not necessarily the Sevenoaks district’s finest hour…
A day in Court
The Lloyd’s Part VII team now has a date for its court hearing – May 12th. Those of you that have to conduct a “match & attach” exercise will have been written to between May 1st and 4th. This was documents sent via docusign and not a standard Lloyd’s email address.
On the loose
Now that the press has announced the end of lockdown, I am sure you will all be off for a bank holiday weekend away. So the map in this otherwise uninteresting article about the man who wishes Boris would shut up (not an exclusive club) will be very useful. It shows the safest places to go as
- The Highlands and Lowlands – but it is quite a hike for a long weekend, plus there is the danger that you would be stuck there when Sturgeon declares UDI and locks the borders.
- Some bits of Wales where nobody lives – and there is a reason for that.
- Northern Ireland – but really?
- And Harry Redknapp’s house.
So, on reflection, staying home for another week doesn’t sound that bad?
All I want to do is pay…
We are aware of increasing angst around DXC and its treatment of business with a possible Cuban element due to its sensitivity around OFAC sanctions. We are also aware of difficulties paying premium “direct” to Syndicates where it is EU business and the insurer is actually Lloyd’s Europe. We are pursuing both issues vigorously and will let you know how we get on – although I am afraid that at this stage this cannot be taken as a promise of the right outcome
The seed of an idea
More on our lockdown eating habits and the growth in popularity of grow your own and home baking. Indeed it is revealed that: “Waitrose has also seen a 63 per cent uplift in searches of ‘grow your own’ – with searches for vegetable seeds increasing more than 20-fold and bird seed six-fold.”
I confess I was in on this straight away and sowed a whole patch of bird seed right at the start of lockdown. And by the looks of it this weekend I should be able to harvest enough chicken for a whole risotto.
I’m off to Sandbanks for some of Sandra’s jam roly poly. Have a great Bank Holiday.