We said on Friday evening that the two Merchant Venturers, John Savage and Colin Skellett, who have seats at the head table of the SWRDA, were currently in talks with Swindon-based GWE to merge their Business West operation with them to create a region-wide business organisation perfectly positioned to cash in on huge SWRDA grants.
We also said that after the merger SWRDA board members Skellett and Savage through Business West would take majority control of Northern Arc Ltd., a company started in April this year to manage £8m of SWRDA grant funds.
We should add that at present, through Business West, Savage and Skellett, already run one-third of Northern Arc Ltd. The merger will simply hand them control of another third and majority control of the firm.
Already it seems Savage and Skellett have used their SWRDA roles to their own £8m advantage. How public spirited of them.
LATER: The full extent of SWRDA board members’ conflicts of interest.