than for any qualities he might possess as a captain and leader of men."It was not always thus. He was absolutely furious and called up Bradford and started swearing at her all over again."Now that's more like it.* We journalists are often accused of following trends, and so it is with reactions to the English football team's captain, David Beckham.As the tide of public opinion turns against Beckham, below right, we can read this in a new book published by the record-breaking goal scorer, Jimmy Greaves: "I do ask myself about the wisdom of appointing David Beckham as England captain."I can't help thinking Beckham was given the England captaincy more for his status as a celebrity... So I called him up and left a message on his answering machine. "She's called Dessarae Bradford and is suing him at the moment for sexual harassment."She published his number as revenge for his behaviour towards her.
Cameron really could be starting from quite a disadvantage."When it comes to the dark arts of political intrigue, Wegg-Prosser has a formidable mentor in the shape of Peter Mandelson, for whom he used to work as a special adviser."Ben is a smooth operator, and learned a lot of tricks," adds my source.* The badly behaved Irish actor Colin Farrell made headlines recently when a new biography claimed he has roughed-up his accent to conceal his middle-class roots, and he used to be a softie at school.So it is reassuring to hear that the book's author, the English journalist Jane Kelly, encountered a hard-talking, sleazy subject when she was researching Living Dangerously.Kelly tells Pandora that she originally hoped to interview Farrell (who is best known for his performance in the title role of Alexander) for her book, but found him somewhat resistant."I obtained his number from the website of a Los Angeles prostitute," she says. I reported recently that the Labour Party has compiled a "dossier" of revelations about Cameron's private conduct, which they think may come in handy. Now I learn that Tony Blair's recently-appointed director of strategic communications, Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, above, has more idea than most about what went on in those heady days of Cameron's youth.The shadow Education Secretary has repeatedly refused to disclose any misdemeanours he may have committed prior to becoming an MP in 2001.But sources close to the Downing Street spinners tell me he and Wegg-Prosser were often to be seen in one another's company - and that the Labour spokesman may be rather less coy about what Cameron was up to."As up-and-coming political types, they mixed in the same social circles during the late Nineties," explains one."They got to know each other well , and it's more than likely that Ben knows things about David's past that could prove useful. * As the Tory leadership contest enters its final round, Pandora learns that David Cameron enjoys the - perhaps unwanted - support of Tony Blair's team of communications experts. A spokesperson for the regulator saidit was "inevitable" that a secondary market for pension schemes would emerge.James Daley.
Such agreements could become commonplace: the regulator says it receivesabout 40 applications a month to rubber-stamp various pieces of corporate activity.One of the most interesting details surrounding the deal, was the suggestion that Marconi may sell on its pension liabilities. In the meantime, the members have an extra level of security, to ensure that their benefits are not put at risk. After the deal is complete, the scheme will be left as part of a group that is even smaller - one-quarter of the size of the current organisation.Envisaging a potential run-in with the authorities, Ericsson and Marconi approached the Pensions Regulator to find out what would be necessary to complete the transaction.Although Marconi's pension fund has a deficit of about £141m, on an FRS 17 basis, the regulator was always unlikely to be dissatisfied with a one-off payment to close this out. A sharp downturn in investment performance, or increases in life expectancy, could put the fund in deficit within a few years - and with the fund then relying on a smaller parent company for financial back-up, problems could have escalated.According to Marconi, a 0.25 per cent increase in its assumed long-term rate of inflation would increase the scheme's deficit by £90m, while a one-year increase in average life expectancy would add £75m to the hole.Ericsson's hopes of recovering half the £490m are quite realistic. Agreement of the deal, together with the resolution of what could have been a major pensions problem, has presented the regulator with its first opportunity to prove that the new system works.Ericsson's agreement to pay £185m into the Marconi pension fund on completion of the deal, and to put £490m into an escrow account - as a further back-up for the fund - will leave the group's pension scheme as one of the best funded in Britain.With assets of about £2.7bn and some 69,000 members, Marconi's scheme dwarfs its parent company. Ultimately, Marconi aims to sell the pension fund to a large financial institution, which could free up half the £490m to be returned to shareholders.Mr Parton has 1 million share options in Marconi, worth £4m based on last night's 369.25p closing price.
