Post by Teddy Bear on Feb 6, 2011 19:19:37 GMT
Bad enough that the BBC decides to spend upwards of £150million to move some of its studios from London to Salford in what appears to have started as a result of a 'shady' deal done between them and the then Labour Cabinet Minister, Hazel Blears. Apparently it was to guarantee their continuing to get the licence fee if they moves some of their infrastructure to her constituency.
Even worse when the BBC North Director on a salary of £430,000 pa and the man they picked and were paying £190,000 pa to lead this move, and convince the 2500 staff affected to 'go north', announced that they wouldn't be leaving London themselves.
And just when you think the BBC couldn't make any worse decisions, it turns out the man who replaced the 'North move leader' actually commutes from Kentucky, 4000 miles away, and to avoid paying the higher UK tax, makes sure he doesn't spend more than 25 weeks here out of the year.
What confidence and virutes these people picked by the BBC must inspire.
The article below reveals other anomalies to be concerned about.
Even worse when the BBC North Director on a salary of £430,000 pa and the man they picked and were paying £190,000 pa to lead this move, and convince the 2500 staff affected to 'go north', announced that they wouldn't be leaving London themselves.
And just when you think the BBC couldn't make any worse decisions, it turns out the man who replaced the 'North move leader' actually commutes from Kentucky, 4000 miles away, and to avoid paying the higher UK tax, makes sure he doesn't spend more than 25 weeks here out of the year.
What confidence and virutes these people picked by the BBC must inspire.
The article below reveals other anomalies to be concerned about.
BBC 'migration' boss leading move to Manchester travels 4,000 miles to work (and avoids paying any UK income tax)
By Martin Delgado and Sharon Churcher
Last updated at 10:42 AM on 6th February 2011
A BBC executive leading a highly controversial £877 million project to move thousands of Corporation staff from London to Manchester lives 4,000 miles away in the United States.
Guy Bradshaw commutes between his home in Kentucky and the BBC’s new base in Salford. Last year, he worked 25 weeks in Britain – just under the threshold for paying UK income tax.
As the BBC’s Migration Manager, Mr Bradshaw is responsible for organising the relocation of 2,500 BBC broadcasters, journalists, engineers and support staff to the new site.
The disclosure that such a key figure lives abroad will raise fresh questions about the Corporation’s handling of its move to Salford and its use of licence-payers’ money at a time when public services are under unprecedented pressure to slash budgets.
BBC employees are furious about the special arrangements that have been put in place for Mr Bradshaw but claim their protests have been ignored by senior managers.
Rank-and-file staff sent a letter to The Mail on Sunday saying they were ‘a group of unhappy BBC employees who do not know where to turn to expose the vast waste of money and appalling decision-making’ surrounding the project.
They wrote: ‘We would urge you most strongly to ask some hard questions about this as the real truth is certainly not out there - the indecision, costly changes of plan, mismanagement, failure of senior staff to commit to living in the North and much more.’
Mr Bradshaw, 44, is employed through a company called Equals Consulting, according to the BBC.
Last year he spent six months in Britain working on the project to move BBC operations to Salford’s MediaCity UK development.
During that time he racked up such large hotel bills that he was awarded ‘Diamond Elite’ status under Hilton Hotels’ loyalty scheme. This is given to guests
who book more than 60 nights during a 12-month period.
Reception staff at the Hilton Hotel in Deansgate, Manchester, where Mr Bradshaw stayed for four days last week, said they remembered checking him in because they thought it was surprising that somebody living in America was working on a domestic project for the BBC.
The BBC said in a statement that last year Mr Bradshaw spent 25 weeks working for the Corporation in Britain. Accountants said that had he stayed one week longer, he would have been subject to UK tax.
One said: ‘If he had exceeded the 26-week limit, he would have been caught for UK tax on his earnings. American tax rates are around 15 per cent lower than in Britain,
so he is making a considerable saving.
‘The statement is very specific about the time he spent in Britain, and with good reason. He seems to have planned it well.’
Mr Bradshaw and his American wife Melanie live in the picturesque village of Midway, which is in one of the most desirable areas of Kentucky and close to the multi-million-dollar racehorse studs for which the state is famous.
The Bradshaws’ house is in a historic district of the town undergoing rapid gentrification. At the end of their street there are a number of bistros as well as boutiques selling Burberry clothes decorated with racehorse motifs.
Last year, Mr Bradshaw spent nearly six months in Britain working on the project to move BBC operations to Salford, despite living 4,000 miles away in Kentucky
Lengthy trip: Last year, Mr Bradshaw spent nearly six months in Britain working on the project to move BBC operations to Salford, despite living 4,000 miles away in Kentucky
Mrs Bradshaw, 50, is described by locals as being ‘well-connected’ in the rural community and is a member of the Women’s Club.
A neighbour in Midway said Mr Bradshaw was away this week, adding: ‘He works for the BBC. He travels backwards and forwards to London a lot.’
Midway residents can watch BBC programmes, including Dr Who, The Graham Norton Show and Top Gear, on BBC America, a cable subscription channel from Time Warner. They can also listen to BBC radio over the internet.
The airport nearest to their home is Blue Grass, Lexington. If booked two weeks in advance, an economy-class return flight on American Airlines from Lexington to Heathrow via Chicago costs £433. But the price soars to £3,313 for a flexible return ticket.
The BBC refused to reveal the value of its contract with Equals Consulting. A spokesman said Mr Bradshaw paid for his own flights. They pay his accommodation if he stays in Manchester, but not in London. It is not known whether the air fares and any other costs are included in the amount the BBC pays the company.
The BBC also last night denied that Mr Bradshaw is a BBC executive. However, Mr Bradshaw described himself as the Corporation’s ‘Migration Manager’ on his profile on professional networking site LinkedIn. On the site he explained that he was based in Kentucky but was available for work on both sides of the Atlantic.
He added: ‘Currently I am plan¬ning and deliver¬ing the migration of around 2,500 staff to the BBC’s new broadcast centre at Salford Quays. This includes Radio 5 Live, BBC Sport, BBC Children’s, BBC Learning and Manchester-based Vision departments.’
He also told neighbours in Kentucky that he works for the BBC.
When callers to the BBC’s main switchboard ask for him, they are told they can be put through to his mobile phone. The BBC's project to move thousands of staff to Salford from London has proved highly controversial
Controversial: The BBC's project to move thousands of staff to Salford from London has proved highly controversial
But within an hour of The Mail on Sunday putting a series of questions to the BBC about his extraordinary working arrangements, the LinkedIn page had been taken down.
The Bradshaws used to live in Ashford, Kent. They sold their house there for £375,000 in May last year before moving with their daughter to Kentucky.
Mr Bradshaw worked for the BBC for nearly 20 years, most recently as accommodation planning manager, but was made redundant in 2006.
However, he was soon working for the Corporation again, despite his decision to move to America.
According to official records, he acquired a US Social Security number – a prerequisite for American residency – between 2009 and 2010. An immigration expert said that as the husband of an American, Mr Bradshaw would be entitled to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Many key staff have said they are unable or unwilling to move north
Salford: Many key staff have said they are unable or unwilling to move north
The bizarre arrangement raises doubts about how effective Mr Bradshaw can be as a hands-on manager whose decisions affect the careers and personal lives of thousands of BBC employees facing the upheaval of a 200-mile move to Manchester.
The BBC’s Project North, which is aimed at making the broadcaster less ‘London-centric’ and more diverse, has been beset by problems.
In August, Paul Gaskin, its £190,000-a-year human resources director, suddenly quit his job because he did not want to make the move from his home in Hertfordshire.
In a further blow, the executive in charge of the entire strategy, BBC North director Peter Salmon, admitted he would rent a flat at licence-fee-payers’ expense near Salford rather than move there on a permanent basis with his wife, former Coronation Street actress Sarah Lancashire, and their children.
Several household names, among them BBC Breakfast presenter Sian Williams, have said they are unable or unwilling to make the move. The same goes for hundreds of off-screen staff.
Last night the BBC refused to say how much its contract with Equals Consulting was worth, claiming the information was commercially confidential.
The company is owned by Danica Farran, who lives in a £2.1million house in the upmarket Bayswater district of West London.
Irish-born Ms Farran, 49, is a former director of project management company Savant UK, which also used to employ Mr Bradshaw.
Equals Consulting claims to be a ‘fresh, new independent consultancy formed by experienced construction industry professionals’.
According to its website, its completed projects include media and broadcast facilities, museums and galleries, healthcare facilities, hotels and schools.
Yet the business was set up as recently as July 2009, has only one director – Ms Farran – and has not yet filed any accounts.
Mr Bradshaw was unavailable for comment and his wife declined to open the door to a Mail on Sunday reporter.
The BBC said his job was to ‘build, manage and deliver a team to carry out the physical migration [of BBC staff] within approved budget limits.’
A spokesman added: ‘The BBC does not pay any travel or accommodation costs to bring Mr Bradshaw to Britain from the US. These costs are covered by Mr Bradshaw personally.
‘He does, when required, travel and on occasion stay in Manchester. On these occasions the BBC meets the cost of his standard-class rail ticket and hotel accommodation.
'As our contract was with Equals Consulting, Mr Bradshaw’s residential status was not of relevance in terms of him undertaking his responsibilities.’
The Corporation was unable to say how much it had spent on train fares and hotel accommodation for Mr Bradshaw.
The BBC is facing huge cuts to its budget, following last year’s TV licence deal. The fee will be frozen for six years and the BBC will take on the cost of running services previously paid for by the Government – amounting to the equivalent of a 16 per cent cut.
In December BBC chairman Sir Michael Lyons warned that he ‘could not rule out’ closing services and refused to confirm if either BBC3 or BBC4 would be safe from the axe.
In 1993 there was a furore after it was discovered that BBC director-general John Birt was being paid his £140,000 salary as a freelance consultant.
The money was being paid to his private ¬company John Birt Productions Ltd, so reducing his tax liability. After coming under intense criticism, he abandoned the arrangement and joined the BBC staff.
By Martin Delgado and Sharon Churcher
Last updated at 10:42 AM on 6th February 2011
A BBC executive leading a highly controversial £877 million project to move thousands of Corporation staff from London to Manchester lives 4,000 miles away in the United States.
Guy Bradshaw commutes between his home in Kentucky and the BBC’s new base in Salford. Last year, he worked 25 weeks in Britain – just under the threshold for paying UK income tax.
As the BBC’s Migration Manager, Mr Bradshaw is responsible for organising the relocation of 2,500 BBC broadcasters, journalists, engineers and support staff to the new site.
The disclosure that such a key figure lives abroad will raise fresh questions about the Corporation’s handling of its move to Salford and its use of licence-payers’ money at a time when public services are under unprecedented pressure to slash budgets.
BBC employees are furious about the special arrangements that have been put in place for Mr Bradshaw but claim their protests have been ignored by senior managers.
Rank-and-file staff sent a letter to The Mail on Sunday saying they were ‘a group of unhappy BBC employees who do not know where to turn to expose the vast waste of money and appalling decision-making’ surrounding the project.
They wrote: ‘We would urge you most strongly to ask some hard questions about this as the real truth is certainly not out there - the indecision, costly changes of plan, mismanagement, failure of senior staff to commit to living in the North and much more.’
Mr Bradshaw, 44, is employed through a company called Equals Consulting, according to the BBC.
Last year he spent six months in Britain working on the project to move BBC operations to Salford’s MediaCity UK development.
During that time he racked up such large hotel bills that he was awarded ‘Diamond Elite’ status under Hilton Hotels’ loyalty scheme. This is given to guests
who book more than 60 nights during a 12-month period.
Reception staff at the Hilton Hotel in Deansgate, Manchester, where Mr Bradshaw stayed for four days last week, said they remembered checking him in because they thought it was surprising that somebody living in America was working on a domestic project for the BBC.
The BBC said in a statement that last year Mr Bradshaw spent 25 weeks working for the Corporation in Britain. Accountants said that had he stayed one week longer, he would have been subject to UK tax.
One said: ‘If he had exceeded the 26-week limit, he would have been caught for UK tax on his earnings. American tax rates are around 15 per cent lower than in Britain,
so he is making a considerable saving.
‘The statement is very specific about the time he spent in Britain, and with good reason. He seems to have planned it well.’
Mr Bradshaw and his American wife Melanie live in the picturesque village of Midway, which is in one of the most desirable areas of Kentucky and close to the multi-million-dollar racehorse studs for which the state is famous.
The Bradshaws’ house is in a historic district of the town undergoing rapid gentrification. At the end of their street there are a number of bistros as well as boutiques selling Burberry clothes decorated with racehorse motifs.
Last year, Mr Bradshaw spent nearly six months in Britain working on the project to move BBC operations to Salford, despite living 4,000 miles away in Kentucky
Lengthy trip: Last year, Mr Bradshaw spent nearly six months in Britain working on the project to move BBC operations to Salford, despite living 4,000 miles away in Kentucky
Mrs Bradshaw, 50, is described by locals as being ‘well-connected’ in the rural community and is a member of the Women’s Club.
A neighbour in Midway said Mr Bradshaw was away this week, adding: ‘He works for the BBC. He travels backwards and forwards to London a lot.’
Midway residents can watch BBC programmes, including Dr Who, The Graham Norton Show and Top Gear, on BBC America, a cable subscription channel from Time Warner. They can also listen to BBC radio over the internet.
The airport nearest to their home is Blue Grass, Lexington. If booked two weeks in advance, an economy-class return flight on American Airlines from Lexington to Heathrow via Chicago costs £433. But the price soars to £3,313 for a flexible return ticket.
The BBC refused to reveal the value of its contract with Equals Consulting. A spokesman said Mr Bradshaw paid for his own flights. They pay his accommodation if he stays in Manchester, but not in London. It is not known whether the air fares and any other costs are included in the amount the BBC pays the company.
The BBC also last night denied that Mr Bradshaw is a BBC executive. However, Mr Bradshaw described himself as the Corporation’s ‘Migration Manager’ on his profile on professional networking site LinkedIn. On the site he explained that he was based in Kentucky but was available for work on both sides of the Atlantic.
He added: ‘Currently I am plan¬ning and deliver¬ing the migration of around 2,500 staff to the BBC’s new broadcast centre at Salford Quays. This includes Radio 5 Live, BBC Sport, BBC Children’s, BBC Learning and Manchester-based Vision departments.’
He also told neighbours in Kentucky that he works for the BBC.
When callers to the BBC’s main switchboard ask for him, they are told they can be put through to his mobile phone. The BBC's project to move thousands of staff to Salford from London has proved highly controversial
Controversial: The BBC's project to move thousands of staff to Salford from London has proved highly controversial
But within an hour of The Mail on Sunday putting a series of questions to the BBC about his extraordinary working arrangements, the LinkedIn page had been taken down.
The Bradshaws used to live in Ashford, Kent. They sold their house there for £375,000 in May last year before moving with their daughter to Kentucky.
Mr Bradshaw worked for the BBC for nearly 20 years, most recently as accommodation planning manager, but was made redundant in 2006.
However, he was soon working for the Corporation again, despite his decision to move to America.
According to official records, he acquired a US Social Security number – a prerequisite for American residency – between 2009 and 2010. An immigration expert said that as the husband of an American, Mr Bradshaw would be entitled to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Many key staff have said they are unable or unwilling to move north
Salford: Many key staff have said they are unable or unwilling to move north
The bizarre arrangement raises doubts about how effective Mr Bradshaw can be as a hands-on manager whose decisions affect the careers and personal lives of thousands of BBC employees facing the upheaval of a 200-mile move to Manchester.
The BBC’s Project North, which is aimed at making the broadcaster less ‘London-centric’ and more diverse, has been beset by problems.
In August, Paul Gaskin, its £190,000-a-year human resources director, suddenly quit his job because he did not want to make the move from his home in Hertfordshire.
In a further blow, the executive in charge of the entire strategy, BBC North director Peter Salmon, admitted he would rent a flat at licence-fee-payers’ expense near Salford rather than move there on a permanent basis with his wife, former Coronation Street actress Sarah Lancashire, and their children.
Several household names, among them BBC Breakfast presenter Sian Williams, have said they are unable or unwilling to make the move. The same goes for hundreds of off-screen staff.
Last night the BBC refused to say how much its contract with Equals Consulting was worth, claiming the information was commercially confidential.
The company is owned by Danica Farran, who lives in a £2.1million house in the upmarket Bayswater district of West London.
Irish-born Ms Farran, 49, is a former director of project management company Savant UK, which also used to employ Mr Bradshaw.
Equals Consulting claims to be a ‘fresh, new independent consultancy formed by experienced construction industry professionals’.
According to its website, its completed projects include media and broadcast facilities, museums and galleries, healthcare facilities, hotels and schools.
Yet the business was set up as recently as July 2009, has only one director – Ms Farran – and has not yet filed any accounts.
Mr Bradshaw was unavailable for comment and his wife declined to open the door to a Mail on Sunday reporter.
The BBC said his job was to ‘build, manage and deliver a team to carry out the physical migration [of BBC staff] within approved budget limits.’
A spokesman added: ‘The BBC does not pay any travel or accommodation costs to bring Mr Bradshaw to Britain from the US. These costs are covered by Mr Bradshaw personally.
‘He does, when required, travel and on occasion stay in Manchester. On these occasions the BBC meets the cost of his standard-class rail ticket and hotel accommodation.
'As our contract was with Equals Consulting, Mr Bradshaw’s residential status was not of relevance in terms of him undertaking his responsibilities.’
The Corporation was unable to say how much it had spent on train fares and hotel accommodation for Mr Bradshaw.
The BBC is facing huge cuts to its budget, following last year’s TV licence deal. The fee will be frozen for six years and the BBC will take on the cost of running services previously paid for by the Government – amounting to the equivalent of a 16 per cent cut.
In December BBC chairman Sir Michael Lyons warned that he ‘could not rule out’ closing services and refused to confirm if either BBC3 or BBC4 would be safe from the axe.
In 1993 there was a furore after it was discovered that BBC director-general John Birt was being paid his £140,000 salary as a freelance consultant.
The money was being paid to his private ¬company John Birt Productions Ltd, so reducing his tax liability. After coming under intense criticism, he abandoned the arrangement and joined the BBC staff.