Meggitt chairman Sir Nigel Rudd has hit back at his moniker of ‘Sir Sell-Off’, insisting that he would support government intervention in takeovers under some circumstances. 

Rudd, 74, has been dubbed The Man Who Sold Britain after flogging several major companies to overseas bidders. Meggitt is the latest – its board has agreed to an 800p-pershare offer from Parker Hannifin. 

It faces a rival 900p offer from Transdigm, another US company. Rudd told The Sunday Times that if a suitor were to try to win the race for Meggitt on price alone, ministers would need to step in. 

'Sir Sell-Off': Sir Nigel Rudd has been dubbed The Man Who Sold Britain after flogging several major companies to overseas bidders

'Sir Sell-Off': Sir Nigel Rudd has been dubbed The Man Who Sold Britain after flogging several major companies to overseas bidders

‘Sir Sell-Off’: Sir Nigel Rudd has been dubbed The Man Who Sold Britain after flogging several major companies to overseas bidders

‘It’s the Government’s job to look after national interests,’ he said. ‘It’s more difficult for the chairman of a public company, because we have a fiduciary duty [to shareholders].’ 

On the seven companies he has flogged, and hitting back at his nickname, Rudd added: ‘I could spend the next hour telling you why I did.’

#fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle#mobile {display:none} #fiveDealsWidget {display:block; float:left; clear:both; max-width:636px; margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; font-size:12px} #fiveDealsWidget div, #fiveDealsWidget a {margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; text-decoration: none; font-family:Arial, Helvetica ,sans-serif} #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitleBox {display:block; float:left; width:100%; background-color:#af1e1e; } #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitle {color:#fff; text-transform: uppercase; font-size:18px; font-weight:bold; margin:6px 10px 4px 10px; } #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {float:left; display:block; width:124px; margin-right:4px; margin-top:5px; background-color: #e3e3e3; min-height:200px;} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {margin-right:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {display:block; margin:10px 5px; color:#000; font-weight:bold} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {float:left; display:block; margin:0; padding:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {border:1px solid #ccc} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {width:100%; height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemdesc {float:left; display:block; color:#004db3; font-weight:bold; margin:5px;} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemRate {float:left; display:block; color:#000; margin:5px} #fiveDealsWidget .footerText a:hover{text-decoration: underline;} #fiveDealsWidget .footerSmall{font-size:10px; padding-top:10px;} @media (max-width: 635px) { #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {width:19%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:20%} } @media (max-width: 560px) { #fiveDealsWidget #desktop {display:none;} #fiveDealsWidget #mobile {display:block!important} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {background-color: #fff; height:auto; min-height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {border-bottom:1px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:10px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {border-bottom:0px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:0px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem, #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:100%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {float:left; display:inline-block} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {width:35%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent {width:63%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {margin: 0px 5px 5px; font-size:16px} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemdesc, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemRate {clear:both} }

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

You May Also Like

Benefits: Thousands of Brits owed payout after DWP underpaid £2.6billion in error – list of people affected

THOUSANDS of Brits are owed a benefits pay-out after the department responsible…

Man sues Easyjet for £380 after being ‘pressured’ into booking expensive flights – here’s how

Edward Baker has sued EasyJet and won after he was pushed into…

BUSINESS CLOSE: FTSE 100 hits fresh record high; Heathrow traffic rises

The FTSE 100 index finished up 65.2 at 7,947.60 – a new…

BUSINESS LIVE: Bloomsbury posts record sales; WH Smith bounces back

The FTSE 100 will open at 8am. Among UK companies with reports and…