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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/15/sir-philip-green-questioned-by-mps-over-bhs-collapse-live-updates
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Sir Philip Green questioned by MPs over BHS collapse – live updates | Sir Philip Green questioned by MPs over BHS collapse – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.12am BST | |
| 09:12 | |
| The eagerly anticipated session begins shortly. We are embedding a live feed at the top of this blog (you might need to refresh to see it). | |
| It is also being streamed live here, and on BBC Parliament. | |
| Updated | |
| at 9.14am BST | |
| 9.09am BST | |
| 09:09 | |
| Today’s Daily Mirror points out that taxpayers have effectively subsidised Green’s retail empire over many years, through tax credits to bump up salaries. | |
| How taxpayers helped shore up BHS workers' low pay while Green used firm's money to fund his lavish lifestyle pic.twitter.com/XrKdJoG6vh | |
| 8.56am BST | |
| 08:56 | |
| FT: Green must be on best behaviour | |
| One tantalising question is whether Sir Philip Green maintains his composure once MPs probe his conduct over BHS: | |
| Chris Nuttall of the Financial Times explains: | |
| The first challenge facing the Svengali of the rag trade will be to keep his temper. Sir Philip has a short fuse and MPs will be tempted to see if they can light it. | |
| Anger is the short cut to putting his foot in it. This brings us on to Point Two: don’t swear or crack jokes. The entrepreneur uses some colourful language in private and has a sardonic sense of humour. He needs to keep it clean and straight-faced for the cameras. Thirdly the entrepreneur and part-time admiral in the Monaco Navy must sound contrite – 11,000 people have lost their jobs. | |
| Sir Philip can be expected to avoid negotiating a settlement of liabilities for BHS’s underfunded pension scheme on-air, not least because committee chair Frank Field MP wants £600m, far more than is needed to cover the deficit on an ongoing basis. | |
| 8.54am BST | |
| 08:54 | |
| No sign of Sir Phil yet.... | |
| Photographers wait outside Parliament for former BHS owner Philip Green to arrive... pic.twitter.com/L6kf6GgZuZ | |
| 8.45am BST | 8.45am BST |
| 08:45 | 08:45 |
| Angela Monaghan | Angela Monaghan |
| Dave Gill, national officer of the Usdaw trade union, says Philip Green must explain exactly why BHS failed. | Dave Gill, national officer of the Usdaw trade union, says Philip Green must explain exactly why BHS failed. |
| He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. | He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. |
| “We should remember there are 11,000 employees that could in the next six weeks be out of jobs. | “We should remember there are 11,000 employees that could in the next six weeks be out of jobs. |
| “They want to know what exactly has Philip Green been doing over the last number of years? What suddenly made him pull the plug on it? Its a very sad time and he should be held accountable for it.” | “They want to know what exactly has Philip Green been doing over the last number of years? What suddenly made him pull the plug on it? Its a very sad time and he should be held accountable for it.” |
| Gill adds that workers deserve answers on why Green handed the business to Dominic Chappell last year: | Gill adds that workers deserve answers on why Green handed the business to Dominic Chappell last year: |
| “The main thing that people find concerning is that he could just sell his company for £1 to someone who has already been bankrupt a number of times. It’s not as though he even tried to sell it on to someone credible who could actually try and turn the business round.” | “The main thing that people find concerning is that he could just sell his company for £1 to someone who has already been bankrupt a number of times. It’s not as though he even tried to sell it on to someone credible who could actually try and turn the business round.” |
| “Reading between the lines it seems that his view was just to try and get rid of it as soon as possible. | “Reading between the lines it seems that his view was just to try and get rid of it as soon as possible. |
| Related: Sir Philip Green must be held to account, says union boss | Related: Sir Philip Green must be held to account, says union boss |
| 8.37am BST | 8.37am BST |
| 08:37 | 08:37 |
| The questions Green must answer | The questions Green must answer |
| We’ve rounded up the 11 key questions which MPs must put to Green today, so lets see how many the MPs manage to ask. | We’ve rounded up the 11 key questions which MPs must put to Green today, so lets see how many the MPs manage to ask. |
| More details here: | More details here: |
| Related: Sir Philip Green's grilling by MPs: the 11 key questions | Related: Sir Philip Green's grilling by MPs: the 11 key questions |
| 8.29am BST | 8.29am BST |
| 08:29 | 08:29 |
| Green had threatened to boycott today’s hearing, furious with Frank Field MP for suggesting he should lose his knighthood. | Green had threatened to boycott today’s hearing, furious with Frank Field MP for suggesting he should lose his knighthood. |
| But yesterday, he confirmed he would show up today, saying: | But yesterday, he confirmed he would show up today, saying: |
| “This will be the first and only opportunity I have had to tell my side of the very sad BHS story, and I will do my best to answer all the questions put to me in an honest and open way.” | “This will be the first and only opportunity I have had to tell my side of the very sad BHS story, and I will do my best to answer all the questions put to me in an honest and open way.” |
| I’m not sure this is exactly the first opportunity – frankly, we’d have sent a taxi to Monaco if Green had fancied speaking out sooner. | I’m not sure this is exactly the first opportunity – frankly, we’d have sent a taxi to Monaco if Green had fancied speaking out sooner. |
| Here’s our news story about today’s session: | Here’s our news story about today’s session: |
| Related: Philip Green to face MPs on Wednesday morning over collapse of BHS | Related: Philip Green to face MPs on Wednesday morning over collapse of BHS |
| 8.21am BST | 8.21am BST |
| 08:21 | 08:21 |
| The queue started early for Sir Philip Green's appearance before MPs today #BHS @drapers pic.twitter.com/w0sXCIWDDp | The queue started early for Sir Philip Green's appearance before MPs today #BHS @drapers pic.twitter.com/w0sXCIWDDp |
| 8.16am BST | 8.16am BST |
| 08:16 | 08:16 |
| People are already flocking to Portcullis House ready for Green’s appearance, in an hour’s time. | People are already flocking to Portcullis House ready for Green’s appearance, in an hour’s time. |
| At parliament for Philip Green's hearing on BHS and there's already a queue.. More people than for Mike Ashley last week. PG will like that. | At parliament for Philip Green's hearing on BHS and there's already a queue.. More people than for Mike Ashley last week. PG will like that. |
| Roll up roll up for the PG show.. pic.twitter.com/ZYIRETlUyn | Roll up roll up for the PG show.. pic.twitter.com/ZYIRETlUyn |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.30am BST | at 8.30am BST |
| 7.55am BST | 7.55am BST |
| 07:55 | 07:55 |
| The agenda: Philip Green faces MPs over BHS scandal | The agenda: Philip Green faces MPs over BHS scandal |
| Good morning. | Good morning. |
| Sir Philip Green is swapping the luxury of the Monto Carlo yacht club for the relative austerity of parliament’s Portcullis House today, as MPs continue to probe the collapse of the BHS retail chain. | Sir Philip Green is swapping the luxury of the Monto Carlo yacht club for the relative austerity of parliament’s Portcullis House today, as MPs continue to probe the collapse of the BHS retail chain. |
| And it should be an absolute belter of a session, perhaps one of the most exciting since these events were televised. | And it should be an absolute belter of a session, perhaps one of the most exciting since these events were televised. |
| Green, one of Britain’s most successful businesspeople, has been summoned to explain his part in a scandal that is costing 11,000 jobs and threatening the pensions of thousands more former employees. | Green, one of Britain’s most successful businesspeople, has been summoned to explain his part in a scandal that is costing 11,000 jobs and threatening the pensions of thousands more former employees. |
| The Business, Innovation and Skills committee, and the Work and Pensions committee, will together quiz Green about his stewardship of BHS, and the seemingly huge sums he paid his family during that time. | The Business, Innovation and Skills committee, and the Work and Pensions committee, will together quiz Green about his stewardship of BHS, and the seemingly huge sums he paid his family during that time. |
| They must quiz Green on his fateful decision to sell the chain in 2015 for £1 to a man, Dominic Chappell, with a couple of bankruptcies on his CV but no retail experience. | They must quiz Green on his fateful decision to sell the chain in 2015 for £1 to a man, Dominic Chappell, with a couple of bankruptcies on his CV but no retail experience. |
| That includes investigating curious property deals which appeared to be designed to help make Chappell look like a credible bidder. | That includes investigating curious property deals which appeared to be designed to help make Chappell look like a credible bidder. |
| And probably most importantly, they need to press Green hard on the BHS pension deficit (currently £571m). Why didn’t he fix this problem before the sale, rather than leaving it in Chappell’s tender clutches? And what will he do to fix the mess now? | And probably most importantly, they need to press Green hard on the BHS pension deficit (currently £571m). Why didn’t he fix this problem before the sale, rather than leaving it in Chappell’s tender clutches? And what will he do to fix the mess now? |
| Green’s reputation has been badly damaged by the unfolding drama around BHS already. His credibility is on the line. And so is the knighthood he received a decade ago for services to the fashion industry. | Green’s reputation has been badly damaged by the unfolding drama around BHS already. His credibility is on the line. And so is the knighthood he received a decade ago for services to the fashion industry. |
| The meeting is due to start at 9.15am. And it could be an epic session, as the room is booked until 2.30pm. So get the popcorn in. | The meeting is due to start at 9.15am. And it could be an epic session, as the room is booked until 2.30pm. So get the popcorn in. |
| Gearing up for Philip Green #Bhs Grilling. Room booked til 2.30pm - could be a long one... pic.twitter.com/8Xqa2hyMqj | Gearing up for Philip Green #Bhs Grilling. Room booked til 2.30pm - could be a long one... pic.twitter.com/8Xqa2hyMqj |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.06am BST | at 8.06am BST |