Gransnet forums

News & politics

Too sensitive?

(5 Posts)
Rosina Sun 28-Oct-18 10:46:43

This post is not about Philip Green - I certainly do not like what I have read about his business behaviour - but rather about Baroness Altmann and her comments about his 'late night bullying by email' of her during the BHS crisis. There were two emails quoted; in both PG said that he needed an answer from her, would have to take some action if she did not make a decision, and 'thank you' was also used. One of them was timed at about 8.45 p.m. Can this really constitute late night intimidation and bullying - unless she is not telling the whole story, which I doubt given that she is trying to make the point that she was intimidated, and would surely have reproduced the 'worst' of his correspondence.
This is not an excuse for the perpetrator of the emails, but rather a concern that by screaming 'Bullying!! bullying!!' at the slightest excuse, the whole issue becomes diminished. As a Government Minster, if Baroness Altmann cannot cope with emails of this nature then I am left wondering how well she can do her job; this looks like overreaction, but perhaps I do not have all the story.

stree Sun 28-Oct-18 11:07:08

fair points

Madgran77 Sun 28-Oct-18 18:27:38

I did think that if those examples were all she could come up with then it might have been better if she had kept quiet!! I have great admiration for Baroness Altmann and her input on pensions and the future but this doesn't seem like her finest moment! I also wonder whether there were things she couldn't make public for some reason

Chewbacca Sun 28-Oct-18 18:32:08

Agree 're Baroness Altman; her example of "bullying" was poor. But I wonder what else will be revealed if and when the full details of PG become public.

M0nica Sun 28-Oct-18 23:42:10

I could see no evidence that PG would not have behaved in exactly the same way if the minister were a man. possibly the language would have been worse.