UR TV CAST

However, he was regarded as a successful Foreign Secretary at a time when Japan was being called upon by the international community to make a more sizeable contribution to international relations in proportion to her economic might.Uno did not contest the last 1996 general election; he enjoyed a quiet retirement and followed his pursuits of painting, music and writing poetry. Elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1960, aged 38, he became a Vice-Minister at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry six years later. Indeed the concept of uwaki mono or “frivolous womaniser” is well ingrained and accepted in the culture. However, what was unforgivable in the eyes of the Japanese was that Uno, despite being one of Japan’s richest politicians (as Foreign Secretary he was the second richest member of the Takeshita Cabinet), was publicly ridiculed on national television by his former lover for being tight-fisted.In giving the geisha girl a miserly 3 million yen (about pounds 13,000) for her services and abruptly leaving her without so much as a parting gift, Uno’s uwaki behaviour, though forgivable, began to be seen by the wider public as ketchi or “stingy”, which was not forgivable.The ire of women voters and, it should also be said, the national anger over the introduction of a 3 per cent consumption tax, along with the first ever Upper House defeat for the LDP in the preceding month’s elections and attempts to open up Japan’s agricultural market to foreign competition, all conspired against Uno and he was replaced on 10 August by the fresh- faced Toshiki Kaifu.Despite the brevity of Uno’s premiership, he had enjoyed a somewhat distinguished political career. However, as a safe pair of hands, he was nominated and selected as Prime Minister at the age of 66, and immediately declared Recruit “deplorable”.Despite the promise of a “clean start” for Japanese politics, 69 days later and in the fourth shortest administration in Japanese politics, Uno was forced to resign following allegations of a five-month affair with a sometime prostitute, and further allegations of sexual misconduct with geisha girls.Unlike the British newspaper-reading public, the Japanese have always been forgiving when it comes to dealing with their leaders’ sexual (and even financial) irregularities. This had fallen in the wake of the Recruit company scandal whereby politicians received Recruit shares in exchange for political favours.He had managed to avoid being implicated in this scandal, which may say something about his political ability, given that Recruit executives only indulged those they thought influential.

In a country where political scandal is commonplace, Uno was no stranger to controversy. In power continuously from 1955, and until their demise in 1993, the leading politicians of the conservative LDP were akin to emperors in ancient Rome and in many ways enjoyed a similar perception of their own rather curious standards of ethical integrity and financial propriety. However, unlike many of his colleagues who were implicated and convicted in bribery and corruption scandals, Uno set a precedent for being the first Prime Minister and indeed Japanese politician to be forced out of office for a sex scandal.
Uno became Prime Minister in June 1989, following the demise of the corrupt Takeshita administration. It must have been obvious that a serious difference of opinion was emerging over the company’s prospects and development.Why was it that the chairman and other non-execs failed to nip this dispute in the bud or get to the bottom of its causes? Most biotechs are run by faintly autocratic, visionary biochemists who believe in the potential of their discoveries with all the passion of a zealot. They are not businessmen or even entrepreneurs out of the usual mould. It is incumbent on the non-execs to be especially careful to rein in the over- enthusiasm of their executives in cases like these Plainly in this case, they failed utterly to do so The buck shouldn’t stop with Dr McCullagh. Mr Raisman’s continued presence at the company inspires little confidence in the future..

THE DAYS when staff canteens offered nothing more than curled up sandwiches, greasy fry-ups, lukewarm coffee or stodgy deserts may be numbered. According to Compass, one of the world’s largest contract caterers, employees are demanding healthier and more sophisticated menus. Workers want to chomp on baguettes and fruit rather than sandwiches and spotted dick, and quaff cappuccinos rather than plain old filter coffee. Compass has introduced a new food service, Pentagon, to cater for this change in tastes. More salads and snack items are available, as well as the “deep pan”, where customers can watch their food being prepared. The group is also planning to introduce more brands such as Harry Ramsden’s fish and chips, as well as some of its own concepts such as Upper Crust baguettes “We want to create a new breed of staff restaurant.

Our research has shown us this is what people want,” said Roger Matthews, the chief executive of Compass.
Compass indicated yesterday that it would fight for its independence, despite intense speculation that the group may receive a bid approach. Francis Mackay, Compass’s chief executive, said: “I do not see how anybody can afford to pay for the future growth we expect to generate. We don’t need anybody else to help us.”Investment Column, this page. WHITBREAD has offloaded 40 of its Beefeater restaurants to a management buy-in team and a consortium of venture capitalists, led by NatWest Equity Partners (NWEP), for pounds 36m. The Crowded House Pub Company, as the new group will be called, plans to scrap the Beefeater restaurants at the sites and introduce a new chain of pub restaurants. It also plans to double the size of its business over the next three to four years by acquiring about 10 new sites a year.