Post covid-19 companies to use/boycott

MrWalker said:

Branson has given substantial sums to charities and schemes.
An estimated $1.2-2 billion back in 2013
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sir-richard-branson-give-away-1721394

Founding the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children was an excellent act. Eben put his mother on the board of directors.
https://www.icmec.org/

His Virgin Money foundation is amazing, dedicated to regenerating communities.
https://virginmoneyfoundation.org.uk/about-the-foundation/

Virgin Money Giving hitting the $1billion in fundraising
https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/virgin-vergin-on-ps1billion-for-charity-881074913.html

Possibly some people think his Virgin Unite prooject makes him a good bloke?
https://virginmoneyfoundation.org.uk/about-the-foundation/

or Virgin Start-up?
Or the first charity he set up when he was 17?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5022569/bransons-health-firm-wins-high-court-battle-with-nhs/

kentaddick said:

i_b_b_o_r_g said:

Cordoban Addick said:

How does Branson get away with convincing enough of the world that he is a decent bloke and not a capitalist?

Think you'll find there a shed load of "capitalists" shovelling a lot of their resources into the aid effort on this, along with many other things that ain't related to C-19. 

Being a “capitalist” and a good bloke are not mutually exclusive, either. 

But in answer to the original question: Branson has been openly used cannabis for years, so got a pass for a long time from the gullible. 

Corrected you there.

MrWalker said:

Are we not seeing enough evidence of NHS procurement failures?
Maybe you think the NHS can do no wrong?

And it's hardly a balance, is it? 

You don't my opinions and my work. I could go on for days about the failings of the NHS and my attempts to improve the bits of it that I worked with. That would take a log conversation that would involve nuances that might not come across via this medium.

It may surprise you that I don't think throwing money at the NHS is the answer and my opinions probably align better with one nation Tories, although with several different solutions, than the last Labour manifesto. I would be happy to meet up and bore you senseless with it before or after a game, should we ever be allowed to go out again or have a club to support. 

If you could be arsed to look through my previous posts going back years (please don't, even lockdown can't be that boring) I have been pretty consistent with that message.

But in short the NHS is a government department and it is failing, therefore he government is failing. This is despite herculean efforts by many or most of the individuals working within it.

The Sun article goes some way to showing Branson is all about the bottom line when it comes to his business interests, and also highlights the procurement weaknesses in the nhs,  which you highlighted yourself Mr Walker. So you are on common ground there it would seem.

Personally I would hope this thread didn't crash and die for an argument over one person's capitalistic v charitable credentials!

Weegie Addick said:

Stelios took a £60M dividend out of Easyjet but the airline won't refund customers or the travel trade and was showing April flights as "sold out" rather than cancelled.

Refunds are available on easyJet they just don't advertise them as they'd rather not pay out. I was due to be going to Milan next weekend but have now applied for a refund as advised by easyJet below after I sent them a bit of a stroppy private tweet not able to get through on the phone line to apply for a refund.

Also @Cordoban Addick can we have a log conversation please? My favourites are the ones you see on walks in the woods, how about yours?

MrWalker said:

What has your post got to do with The Sun article you posted?

Whatever the issue with nhs contracts it doesnt counter the billions donated and raised for charity and good causes by Richard Branson

Sorry, I thought there was two different themes running. 

At least I know now not to bother trying to answer your questions in the future as it seems to be that it is not an answer you are looking for.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/04/08/smartphone-could-help-fight-coronavirus-sleep/amp/#aoh=15866952526736&referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s

MrWalker said:

Cordoban Addick said:

MrWalker said:

What has your post got to do with The Sun article you posted?

Whatever the issue with nhs contracts it doesnt counter the billions donated and raised for charity and good causes by Richard Branson

Sorry, I thought there was two different themes running. 

At least I know now not to bother trying to answer your questions in the future as it seems to be that it is not an answer you are looking for.

Bizarre.

Only to those easily perplexed.

Cordoban Addick said:

Off_it said:

Cordoban Addick said:

limeygent said:

Cordoban Addick said:

How does Branson get away with convincing enough of the world that he is a decent bloke and not a capitalist?

You can't be a capitalist and a decent bloke?

Course you can but he pretends he isn't so that people think they are buying from a nice guy. He is in it to make money, be honest about it.

So, you can't be a nice guy if you're a capitalist and trying to make money?

Wow. Must be nice to live in your black and white world. 

I always find it best to read all the posts before commenting.

What I have said is that his particular shtick for selling stuff is to pretend that he is a nice guy when he isn't. But people cut him some slack because they believe it to be true. It is no different (but on a far grander scale) to sales people who try to get you to think they are your friend so that you buy stuff from them.

Oh, I completely agree - it's definitely a good idea to read all posts before commenting.

I read all of yours before commenting and still don't really understand what your beef is, not that I'm overly bothered.

You say he's "not a nice guy" but don't really back that up with a lot, other than posting a link (twice) to an article about a Virgin branded company taking court action - and winning - against the NHS a few years back. 

You said "How does Branson get away with convincing enough of the world that he is a decent bloke and not a capitalist?"

The clear inference in your post is that you can't be both - you're presenting it as an "either or" option. All I'm saying is that it would be nice if everything was so black and white.

Good day to you, sir.

As a landlord we accept our tenants can't pay the rent. My son is at Bournemouth University and he is still paying for tuition he isn't getting and accommodation he isn't using. There seems to be one law for us and one law for them. 

My daughters the same (Portsmouth) still paying rent and Tuition fee's. Although to be fair they are receiving some lectures if not anywhere near as often as they were when face to face. Seems a real mixture with some Uni owned property allowing contracts to be ended early, others not and Private rented generally wanting payment to continue.

Her final rent payment is due next week, 

Off_it said:

Hang on, just so I get this right, you can go on the "shit list" just by not paying your suppliers?

So that puts Charlton firmly on the list then. Along with thousands of other businesses. Good luck with that.

I don’t get why people wouldn’t pay their suppliers. My suppliers are fully paid up. Once this is all said and done, I’m going to need them and I’m going to need the best deals from them.