In praise of Sir Anthony
From Ivan Fallon Sir: Stephen Glover, as one of the Independent's three original founders, helped set the title's tradition for fair, accurate and independent reporting. What a pity some of those elements did not pervade the wild surmising in last week's Spectator (Media, 16 October).
His headline raises the question 'Why might Dr O'Reilly want to sell 30 per cent of the Independent?' There is a very simple answer: Sir Anthony O'Reilly, to give him his correct title, doesn't. The story was based on an erroneous and speculative piece in a rival newspaper. A simple call might have helped answer the question, which Mr Glover labels 'astounding'.
What is truly 'astounding', as Mr Glover more graciously acknowledges, is the success of the Independent in the past year; the latest ABC circulation figures show the highest figure since 1997, full-price UK sales up 33 per cent and market share at its highest for eight years. Given that unprecedented success, it would be surprising if the Independent's 'spectacular achievement' (Mr Glover's words) had not caused at least a frisson of interest within the media industry. Of course it has. But that is a long, long way from saying that Sir Anthony wants to 'sell off the family
silver', No one has backed the paper more enthusiastically or financially than Sir Anthony O'Reilly. And given the healthy state of the finances of the parent company, Independent News & Media Plc, it can — and will — go on doing it. Now more than ever, Mr Glover also implies that Sir Anthony may not be in the best of health. Rubbish. In recent months he has travelled on business to the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, China, Russia and India, and that's a fraction of what he does. I suggest Mr Glover tries to take him on at tennis, which he plays intensely every day. He has more energy than anyone I have ever met and he's not running out of it.
So, Mr Glover, the only thing that has 'changed' is that the Independent has never been in better shape — or hands.
Iran Fallon
Chief Executive, Independent News & Media, London El4
failed to deracinate those Buchan paragons Sandy Arbuthnot and Charles Lamancha but it seems to have worked its wiles on Magnus Linklater. He states in his review of 'Scone' (Arts, 16 October) that the author 'invents with gleeful ease' a number of dish
es: brose, potted hoch [sic], crappit heids and chappit neeps.' But the first three are staples of the Scots cuisine of old and can be found in F. Marian McNeill's The Scots Kitchen, the standard work on the subject, first published in 1929. `Chappit neeps' is indeed an invention: it should be `champif, that is, mashed, neeps or turnips, familiar to anyone who has attended a Burns Supper. The memory of my grandmother's potted hough lives with me still, and my excellent local butcher continues to produce his own splendid version. Should Mr Linklater wish to give me his address, I will be happy to oblige him with it.
A.H. Ronald
Polmont, Scotland
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