Branson gaffe over NTL saga

By JAMES ASHTON
Updated: 10:35 BST, 9 December 2005

?

SIR Richard Branson stuck his foot in his mouth during an ill-timed interview on the 広げるing Virgin 動きやすい saga as NTL 立ち往生させるd on upping its 企て，努力，提案.

The cable group will chew over the 拒絶 of its £817m 申し込む／申し出 at a board 会合 in New York today.

For now, it looks to be standing 会社／堅い on price after striking what it thought was a 直す／買収する，八百長をするd 協定 with Branson at the start of the week.

But it was red 直面するs all 一連の会議、交渉／完成する after the entrepreneur talked up the price during a BBC 無線で通信する interview from Sydney.

'We're talking about only £25m difference between what the 独立した・無所属 株主s are talking about and what NTL have 申し込む／申し出d,' he said. 'My feeling is that they will be able to reach a 取引，協定.'

The faux pas meant Virgin 動きやすい (up 9?p to 355p) had to 急ぐ out a 声明 to appease the 引き継ぎ／買収 パネル盤, 主張するing that 'it did not consider any other price, nor did it solicit any other price'.

VM's board, led by Charles Gurassa, is trying its best to 行為／法令／行動する 独立して of Branson, who is keen to 交換（する） his 72% 火刑／賭ける in the company for 14% of the 大きくするd NTL to create a Virgin-branded communications 巨大（な）.

It must 耐える in mind City such as Morley and Aberforth, which own the 残り／休憩（する）.

分析家s reckon Branson's £25m 言及するs to the payout for 独立した・無所属 株主s, making a 企て，努力，提案 of £910m, or 360p a 株, likely to 勝利，勝つ them over.

But many think both 味方するs are 簡単に going through the 動議s.

'It is like a school play really,' said Jim McCafferty at Seymour Pierce. 'There is a lot of positioning but it is a done 取引，協定 really.'

分かれて, Branson's US 国内の 航空機による Virgin America last night 発表するd it had raised the necessary 財政／金融 to 開始する，打ち上げる next year.