Hmmm very interesting.
He recently created a lot of problems for an associate of mine, ( a very knowledgeable and competent scaffolding company owner in Southampton) by himself/Simian acting against the scaffolding contractor in a local authority tender process. Disasterously involving himself in some very sensitive "commercial" aspects of this particular tender and ill advising the client as to the pricing procedures being adopted by my associate's company during the current contract. Instead of purely advising the client on the relative standards & procedures that ought to be demonstrated by tendering contractors within the tendered contract, it is alleged that he/Simian worked together with the client in an attempt to ensure the current contract holders, would not be able to fairly regain the new tendered contract.
The tender process had to be abandoned by the local authority, as a result of claims of incompetency & corruption within the tender pricing documentation provided by Mr Huges & Simian, being made by more than one of the tendering contractors.
My associate is not currently a poster/member of this forumn, but has promised to join, in an attempt to gain answers "publicly" from Mr Hughes regarding the above mentioned tender situation.
He believes that the for the good of the industry Mr Hughes/Simian ought to demonstrate that the lucrative earnings he/it makes from the UK based Scaffolding Contractors, (H&S documentation/Training provision/pocedural guidance) will not simply be viewed as irrelevant, when a client seeking to rig a tender result, drive down industry rates and generally ignore scaffolding contractor acops/mandatory procedures, will not be aided in that quest by Mr Hughes/Simian in their quest! Running with the Fox & Hounds is a decision based on the advantages to be made by the individual, not morals & principals.
I think the noble people of this forum and especially those involved with the forming and continuation of the very worthwhile and excellent SCCR, need to be mindful that Mr Hughes does not involve himself with anything "voluntarily," unless both financial & profile enhancing advantages & opportunities have been identified IMOA.
Regards
Finer