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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Mandelson 'in Starbucks tirade' | Mandelson 'in Starbucks tirade' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A spokesman for Lord Mandelson has played down reports the peer launched a four-letter tirade about the boss of US coffee chain Starbucks. | A spokesman for Lord Mandelson has played down reports the peer launched a four-letter tirade about the boss of US coffee chain Starbucks. |
| Starbucks chairman Howard Schulz said in an interview with US TV that the UK was in an economic "spiral" and consumer confidence was "very poor". | Starbucks chairman Howard Schulz said in an interview with US TV that the UK was in an economic "spiral" and consumer confidence was "very poor". |
| Lord Mandelson denied Mr Schulz's claim in an interview with the TV channel. | Lord Mandelson denied Mr Schulz's claim in an interview with the TV channel. |
| But newspaper reports suggest the business secretary later used abusive language about Mr Schulz. | But newspaper reports suggest the business secretary later used abusive language about Mr Schulz. |
| Speaking at a diplomatic reception in New York, Lord Mandelson is reported by The Daily Telegraph to have launched into angry tirade against Mr Shculz, saying: "Why should I have that guy running down the country?". | |
| He then reportedly used a four-letter to ask who Mr Schulz was, adding: "How the hell are they [Starbucks] doing?" | |
| Closures | Closures |
| Asked to comment on the story, a spokesman for Lord Mandelson said: "We don't stand by the language. But we do stand by the sentiment." | Asked to comment on the story, a spokesman for Lord Mandelson said: "We don't stand by the language. But we do stand by the sentiment." |
| Starbucks has recently announced the closure of nearly 1,000 unprofitable shops around the world. | Starbucks has recently announced the closure of nearly 1,000 unprofitable shops around the world. |
| Mr Schulz's criticism of the US economy came in an interview with Maria Bartiromo, of US financial channel CNBC, where he was promoting the launch of a new product. | Mr Schulz's criticism of the US economy came in an interview with Maria Bartiromo, of US financial channel CNBC, where he was promoting the launch of a new product. |
| He was quizzed about international business conditions and the economic situation in the UK, telling Ms Bartiromo: "Unemployment, the subprime mortgage crisis specifically in the UK, and I think consumer confidence in the UK is very, very poor." | He was quizzed about international business conditions and the economic situation in the UK, telling Ms Bartiromo: "Unemployment, the subprime mortgage crisis specifically in the UK, and I think consumer confidence in the UK is very, very poor." |
| Lord Mandelson appeared on the same programme an hour later to insist Mr Schulz was wrong about the British economy. | Lord Mandelson appeared on the same programme an hour later to insist Mr Schulz was wrong about the British economy. |
| He said: "The UK is not spiralling, although I have noticed that Starbucks is in a great deal of trouble. But that may be because of their overexposure given the state of the market. So please do not project Starbucks onto the UK economy as a whole." | He said: "The UK is not spiralling, although I have noticed that Starbucks is in a great deal of trouble. But that may be because of their overexposure given the state of the market. So please do not project Starbucks onto the UK economy as a whole." |
| Lord Mandelson earlier gave a speech at the Council for Foreign Relations about the world economic crisis. | Lord Mandelson earlier gave a speech at the Council for Foreign Relations about the world economic crisis. |