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Sir Digby Jones

Mayfield

Burbury Brummie
I was at the ICC all day today on a management training programme of which I had the extreme pleasure of listening to the most inspirational, straight talking and humourous speaker that I have ever listened to..... I refer to Birmingham's own Sir Digby Jones.

This very proud Brummie served as Director General of the CBI from 2000 to 2006 and was appointed Knight Bachelor in the New Years honours list of in 2005.

Throughout his long un-scripted and mesmerising speech he contantly exuded his pride of being born in what he described has 'God's own city'.

I had the pleasure of speaking with him personally after the event and he was everything that I hoped he would be, charismatic, extremely intelligent but most of all down-to-earth. I mentioned to him the Birmingham Historical Forum and asked if I could include his name as a famous Brummie, for which he graciously accepted.

Today, Friday 13th was not unlucky for me.... it turned-out to be an extremely inspirational day.

Thank you Sir Digby for motivating this professionally tired individual.

Mabz
 
Hi Mayfield I agree with everything you said about Sir Digby Jones, if only the Government possessed the same common sense as this true brummie.
 
The one person the mail keeps pushing for Mayor of our fair city , which we have already voted on and rejected ,a bit like the european constitution or whatever it's been renamed . Bernie
 
Yet he was little more than a mediocrity in the short time he spent in Brown's cabinet, he is anti-union to the nth degree, an opposer of the national minimum wage, was recently described in the Telegraph as being the personification of everything bad about big business, and probably couldn't direct any tourist to New Street Station if his life depended on it.

Big Gee
 
Yet he was little more than a mediocrity in the short time he spent in Brown's cabinet, he is anti-union to the nth degree, an opposer of the national minimum wage, was recently described in the Telegraph as being the personification of everything bad about big business, and probably couldn't direct any tourist to New Street Station if his life depended on it.

Big Gee
I agree with comments Big Gee without reserve. Len.
 
Met him several times in the late 1990's. He was a breath of fresh air. Down to earth and spoke his mind - unlike most of todays "movers and shakers"!
AND a great Brummie and proud of it.
 
We are all entitled to our opinions, after all we are a free country.
I have known Sir Digby' and met and spoken with him and listened to talks/speeches by him.
I found him to be not only a very, very, proud Brummie and more than able to direct anyone to New Street, station or street, but willing to speak his mind, share his opinions and discuss these with anyone.
An 'oaf' he is not, he may have strong views on many topics, so have I and presumably so have you, just because you, or on occasions me, do not share those opinions, that's fine, it's called Democracy something else this country gave to the World.
I do not know what happened in Government circles but do know that someone who speaks about what he feels instead of 'towing the party line'
would be difficult for the wafflers we have down there who think that London is the centre of the universe he is certainly someone I would vote for, it's a great pity there aren't another 600 or so people available to stand for election and discuss, and deal, with the real issues instead of pussyfooting around and telling us things they think we want to hear and doing something completely different behind our backs.
I believe if we, in Birmingham, are going to have an elected Mayor let's make it a shared role and have two, Sir Digby AND Carl Chinn then you will see this City being promoted as never before and put back where it belongs in the eyes of the world as the beating heart and engine room of the Country.
 
I would never call him or anyone else an 'oaf', certainly not in public, and I am sure that he is everything you say, BilboC, and I am equally sure that he is a perfectly nice man to meet and converse with. But his anti-union views are well known, and as a former president of the CBI it is very obvious that he is on the employers' side of the table rather than the employees'. This stance is, of course, perfectly understandable, but speaking as a lifelong union member I would be very surprised if Sir Digby would be able to motivate me other than to increase my dislike for big business and the way big business treats the workers of this country. And by the way - I have never voted Labour or so-called New Labour in my life!

Big Gee
 
David - I agree and admire your opinion. Keep your head up my friend. I stand by what I posted and respect anyone who proudly preaches the merits of this great city.

How many people in high office give a stranger their contact details when they meet??? I have deleted his details in respect of his privacy. Mabz
 
Yet he was little more than a mediocrity in the short time he spent in Brown's cabinet, he is anti-union to the nth degree, an opposer of the national minimum wage, was recently described in the Telegraph as being the personification of everything bad about big business, and probably couldn't direct any tourist to New Street Station if his life depended on it.

Big Gee


Big Gee, your school wasn't called 'Longbridge' by any chance?
 
I don't think you have to have worked or gone to school at Longbridge to realise what this blokes views are, but Longbridge is a good example of like minded people.Towers and his mates taking millions while the workforce were left with nothing , let them eat cake .They have even held on to the cash in the "hardship fund " Bernie
 
JohnO,

To be honest, I think all the juice has now been squeezed out of this thread. No, my school wasn't 'Longbridge', but I knew the place extremely well in the 1970's and 1980's, and although I unhesitatingly accept that not all of Rover's problems can be laid on just one side of the fence, the school I did attend taught me the meaning of the word 'exploitation'.
Big Gee
 
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