By coincidence, also in February, Euromoney hosted its annual awards dinner for the private banking industry and Tom Kalaris, Barclays’ former head of wealth management, sat at the top table. Kalaris resigned from Barclays last June. I have always liked Tom and will watch with interest how his career progresses. The compere for the dinner was Alastair Campbell, director of communications from 1997 to 2003 for prime minister Tony Blair. Campbell offered one key nugget of advice to the group of assembled financiers: "In order to win the public relations battle, you have to convince public opinion that banks and bankers provide a real service that individuals and the economy need." Obviously, Campbell is correct, but is anyone listening in the banks’ luxurious executive suites?
And talking of previous Labour governments, rumours swirl that Blair is now a "babe-magnet". A recent Vanity Fair article revealed scribblings from Rupert Murdoch’s ex-wife Wendy on how attractive she found the former politician’s legs and "butt". I tip my hat to Blair for holding his own in north American media circles. However, I am becoming disenchanted with Mark Carney, the transatlantic export to the UK, who is viewed as the Bank of England’s riposte to George Clooney.