Bunhill: Queens Moat Houses

AS THE government inspectors go into the troubled hotels group Queens Moat Houses to investigate allegations of unlawful dividend payments and property deals, I can't resist reproducing the following letter:

5th May 1993

Dear Mr Snowden,

Thank you for your letter of 24th April. I can assure you that everything is being done to put this fine company back on the road again and I am confident that we are making good progress.

Yours sincerely,

David Howell

(David Howell MP, until nine days ago non-executive director of Queens Moat, writing to a small shareholder, Neville Snowden of Petersfield, Hants, who expressed his dissatisfaction with the running of the company and suggested the non-executives might bear some responsibility.)