Week Ending: The other Bernstein; The price is right; What’s in a name?
IT has come to our attention that there isn’t just one Bernstein prowling the corridors of power in Manchester.
The brother of Manchester City Council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein is the chief executive of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester.
Russell Bernstein, whose £108,000 salary is half that of his brother’s, supports and advises the police commissioner, former Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd.
Mr Lloyd’s deputy is Jim Battle, who was the council’s deputy leader until August when he took the police role. Meanwhile Mr Battle’s daughter Rosa is also a Manchester councillor and has been named as a potential candidate in the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election.
She was also shortlisted for the Manchester Central by-election two years ago – a seat vacated by Tony Lloyd when he became the police commissioner. It puts a whole new slant on the “Manchester family”.
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IF you’re looking for a business idea you could do worse than launch some sort of price comparison website.
They’re all the vogue, particularly if they offer a “disruptive platform”, and funders appear to be queuing up to invest.
This month the North West Fund’s digital and creative pot supported Altrincham-based BeatMyWasteQuote.com which aims to help firms get a better waste disposal deal, and Funding Options which acts like a comparison site for businesses seeking funding.
In November Bolton-based energy comparison site Love Energy Savings received £500,000 from the Greater Manchester Loan Fund, managed by Maven Capital Partners.
Maybe a website that compares the performance of all the comparison sites is the way forward.
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WHAT’S in a name? Well, Week Ending is always looking out for an aptronym – where a name is suited to its owner’s profession.
The latest is Eric Healing, hired as a new director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Eric joins the splendidly-named Brian Tenner, chief finance officer at chain manufacturer Renold, not to mention Tim Bacon, of restaurant and leisure group Living Ventures.
If you have know of anyone else in regional business with a name fitting their occupation, then do let us know.
