(no subject)

Jeffrey,

Here are my thoughts vis-a-vis||

Let me know how you/ he want to proceed and I will get on it. Calls can happen anytime and I can see people back in London after Tuesday. Rupert and George are both very close to Mervyn King and top BoE staff.

(i.e. I am seeing the Chancellor anyway next Thursday.)

Press

• It is nigh impossible to get appointed without having floated a trial balloon in the press. Besides, there is no downside for him at JPM to know that he is sufficiently good that the Barclays board are considering him for CEO.

I would speak to Mark Kleinman, Business Editor of SkyNews and Jeff Randall, Editor-at-large and Chief Business Columnist of the Telegraph to put out that high-level sources suggest that JPM investment bank chief Jes Staley is being courted by headhunters.... among other things, Staley has done an impeccable job of handling JPM's relationships with European bank chiefs, politicians and regulators throughout the Euro crisis.

Treasury

• I propose to call my longtime friend Rupert Harrison, George Osborne's chief of staff to say that Jes is in the running - and would make the best pick for the job. Rupert and George are both very close to Mervyn King and top BoE staff.

Also to say that if Rupert/ George want to chat off-record to Jes, we can organise that.

Barclays

I would chat with Mike Rake to make the case for ☐ and also point out that he (Rake) will get praise for appointing him.

And that the financial press, FSA, BoE and Treasury will look kindly on the appointment.

I won't do anything before hearing back from you but I'm ready to go into bat for our friend.

Best wishes,

Ian