Anyone studying the current travails of the Conservative Party could be forgiven for referencing Shakespeare, for thinking there really is something rotten in the kingdom.
In short order, we’ve had: an allegation of Islamophobia; “Partygate” including the holding of an indoor birthday gathering for the Prime Minister when such occasions were banned; the awarding of lucrative PPE contracts to favoured friends; the resignation of a government minister over the handling of fraudulent Covid loans; and accusations of blackmail against MPs who do not toe the line.
According to the idiom, the fish rots from the head. Boris Johnson is the Conservative leader; the chairman is Ben Elliot.
The nephew of Prince Charles, Elliot, 46, is co-founder and director of Quintessentially, the global “lifestyle management” firm that offers a range of services to its rich clients. Whatever you want, it will provide it – within reason and the boundaries of the law, of course.
Elliot is also no stranger to claims of playing fast and loose. His concierge company has reached a settlement with a client who accused it of “false advertising” and “fraud”.
The client, Californian businessman Christopher Grey, paid £5,500 ($7,425) to become a Quintessentially member. Grey turned to Elliot’s organisation for assistance in acquiring a European “golden visa” that grants residency or citizenship to wealthy investors.
On its advice, his company bought a one-bedroom property in Lisbon for £510,000 and then transferred it to himself, which it said would qualify him automatically for the visa.
It was wrong – the property could not be transferred to him for visa purposes, nor could it be rented out. He sued. Quintessentially refuted his claim and said it settled for reasons of expediency.
Last year, Quintessentially’s Manhattan landlords accused its New York operation of “continuous failure and refusal to pay rent” and breaking the terms of its lease. Quintessentially disputes the claim and maintains the rent is up to date.
In a separate case, the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board served Quintessentially with a final notice of a penalty for its alleged failure to provide medical insurance and compensation for lost income for those injured at work or with long-term disabilities. Here, Quintessentially denies receiving the notice and says it could not therefore respond to the charge, but it was untrue to say it had not provided insurance cover.
In another, American Express was pursuing Quintessentially for unpaid credit card bills, for purchases including wine and taxi rides booked through Uber. Amex had to go to court in New York over the $45,000 debt and won. Quintessentially’s explanation was that the credit card bills were going to an unoccupied address.
Then there was the late-filed financial report disclosing Elliot’s company had made accounting errors of more than £7m and paid £1.4m in dividends it should not have made to shareholders.
Signs of change in Britain
It says something about the Tories that their chairman should be someone who assists the wealthy in getting visas.
Equally, though, it could be seen as a sign of how Britain has changed. In the past, such a senior establishment figure, one charged with fund-raising for the party of capitalism, would be drawn from the higher echelons of the City or manufacturing industry. The UK economy today is one slanted towards services, in which the urbane, charming, impossibly well-connected Elliot, despite these travails, is something of a star – he is seeking offers for Quintessentially of up to £170m.
To be fair to Elliot, some of these cases beset many businesses in his field and ever since he became Tory chairman, Quintessentially’s affairs have become a matter of heightened media and political focus.
One episode that is harder to explain, though, is that concerning Mohamed Amersi. A Tory donor, Amersi, a British lawyer and deals fixer, was a client of Quintessentially. In return for a fee, Elliott arranged for the ambitious, multi-millionaire Amersi to meet his uncle, Prince Charles, and he duly became a trustee of the Prince’s Trust. A formal honour for Amersi appeared likely.
Amersi also set his sights on the Conservative Middle East Council, run by Charlotte Leslie, the former Tory MP. She alleges that Amersi tried to use his influence to take over the group, which promotes UK-Middle East relations.
When he was rebuffed, Amersi set up his own body, Comena, to rival Leslie’s. Last week, in the Commons, ex-Tory Cabinet minister David Davis said how Carl Hunter, a Tory adviser, “engaged in bullying and egregious behaviour” towards Leslie.
Details of taped calls between Hunter and Leslie were leaked. Hunter told her she needed to “consider being able to walk the dog at night” if she refused to apologise to Amersi, and “you’re looking into a world of pain on this … If you are not careful this will keep you up at night, monopolise your life, for as long as it lasts.”
Leslie has complained to the police about the calls. Amersi denies knowing about them or that Hunter was working on his behalf. Hunter maintained he did not recollect saying she should not go out at night and that he was trying to help Leslie.
This was the same David Davis MP who last week stood up in the Commons at Prime Minister’s Questions and said to Johnson: “In the name of God, go.”
Amersi calls what Elliot supplies “access capitalism”. The Conservative Party, it seems, is still the party of capitalism, of sorts.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Sri Lanka squad
Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.
More Iraq election coverage:
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%20Supercharged%203.5-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20400hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20430Nm%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh450%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
