Talk:Grant Shapps

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 5 external links on Grant Shapps. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20100429171143/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Prospective_Parliamentary_Candidates/Shapps_Grant.aspx to http://www.conservatives.com/People/Prospective_Parliamentary_Candidates/Shapps_Grant.aspx
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20100926002937/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23863698-david-cameron-prepared-for-backlash-over-council-homes-comments.do to http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23863698-david-cameron-prepared-for-backlash-over-council-homes-comments.do
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120104232803/http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/7281498/shapps-sharpens-the-right-to-buy.thtml to http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/7281498/shapps-sharpens-the-right-to-buy.thtml
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20131106090509/http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/care/shapps-hands-out-homelessness-cash/6523548.article to http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/care/shapps-hands-out-homelessness-cash/6523548.article
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20150319015733/http://www.lbc.co.uk/when-grant-shapps-told-lbc-he-didnt-use-second-name-as-mp-106501 to http://www.lbc.co.uk/when-grant-shapps-told-lbc-he-didnt-use-second-name-as-mp-106501

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 06:43, 3 December 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Grant Shapps. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120329183657/http://www.herts24.co.uk/news/i_m_lovin_it_welwyn_hatfield_mp_relives_the_time_he_was_saved_by_mcdonald_s_1_979618 to http://www.herts24.co.uk/news/i_m_lovin_it_welwyn_hatfield_mp_relives_the_time_he_was_saved_by_mcdonald_s_1_979618

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 06:55, 1 January 2018 (UTC)

Cryptocurrency ICO news coverage
The Financial Times ran an article on Shapps' involvement in an initial coin offering, OpenBrix. He was getting tokens with a notional value of £170k to £700k for his services as an advisor, but he put it in the register of MPs' interests as "unpaid": "Grant Shapps resigns from blockchain positions after FTAV discovers secret pay deal". It's all over the news in the last couple of days, and now a Labour MP is calling for him to be investigated "Labour calls for inquiry into ex-Tory chairman Grant Shapps". Is this worth mentioning? (I won't add it myself as I was one of Jemima Kelly's sources for the original FT story, looking into the OpenBrix ICO.)

It's not absolutely clear from the press coverage, but he didn't get £170k-£700k in cash, or even a reasonably convertible cryptocurrency - he would be getting a quantity of ICO tokens, presently worth 0 (hence his register entry as "unpaid"), but which might be worth a bundle later. The quantitiy he would have received would have been an amount they were selling for £170k-£700k. But of course converting those tokens back into cash, or a reasonably cash-equivalent crypto, would be rather more difficult - hence present value of 0 - David Gerard (talk) 18:59, 3 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Correct.  Unless and until some "actual specie value" exists, paying taxes on such items is silly.  Or else I could give a person my own masterpiece painting "for services rendered", value it as $200,000 and make them pay taxes on it? Better yet, ask for an appraisal of your stack of "pseudo-currency".  Collect (talk) 11:00, 9 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Not trying to discuss the hypotheticals here, per WP:NOTFORUM - mostly whether and how to cover it in the article - David Gerard (talk) 12:10, 9 August 2018 (UTC)

Heading
The heading Professional and writing career sounds missing leading after reading, sounds like he has written books, but nothing like that is noted. The few paragraphs are just Business ventures so would that not be a better sub-heading? Govvy (talk) 09:02, 22 June 2019 (UTC)
 * sounds good - David Gerard (talk) 09:11, 22 June 2019 (UTC)
 * k, changed it over, cheers. Govvy (talk) 09:16, 22 June 2019 (UTC)

Shapps's web marketing business
'Shapps's web marketing business's 20/20 Challenge publication also drew criticism. It cost $497 and promised customers earnings of $20,000 in 20 days. Upon purchase, the "toolkit" was revealed to be an ebook, advising the user to create their own toolkit and recruit 100 "Joint Venture Partners" to resell it for a share of the profits.'

That sentence is well-sourced. The source doesn't call it a Ponzi scheme, but for the life of me I can't see what else it was. As much as I would like to, I cannot say that in Wikipedia's voice unless a source uses that (largely US) term or an equivalent. Narky Blert (talk) 00:36, 11 March 2021 (UTC)
 * Well you can't really say Ponzi scheme unless a source says it! Other than that, I am not sure what else you're asking. Govvy (talk) 08:24, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

Allegations that Shapps has edited Wikipedia do they need to be mentioned?
I know this has been discussed previously a few years back but this matter should be re-investigated.

It seems that the article breaches WP:Undue as it places undue weight on these allegations. Their validity is irrelevant. Shapps is not even remotely known for these controversies. DukeLondon (talk) 12:47, 25 July 2021 (UTC)


 * There have been quite a few "Who is Grant Shapps?" media articles recently, and that incident is one of the things several of them mention. As a couple of examples, the PA discussed it in the 10th & 11th paragraphs, whereas the Evening Standard first refers to it in the article subheading. I'm not an expert of Wikipedia policies, but it seems to me like a reasonable thing to include in Wikipedia's own biography. Aoeuidhtns (talk) 16:11, 28 October 2022 (UTC)

Fake testimonials
Under "Business Ventures" the article states: "The existence of at least three people who allegedly provided testimonials for the company has been questioned."

The wording - 'has been questioned' - suggests that there is some doubt. In fact there is no doubt that the testimonials were fake, exposed by the Channel 4 investigation. One of them is from "Corinne Stockheath". Although the surname looks English, nobody of that name existed, as can be proved by a search of the Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales, the data from which are online at freebmd.org.uk. A search for the birth records of people surnamed Stockheath born between 1880 and 1997 (the last date publicly available) finds that there aren't any. The name was clearly invented for the purpose of deception.Insulation2 (talk) 11:41, 14 March 2024 (UTC)

Dean Archer lawsuit
What became of Dean Archer's lawsuit against Shapps, the threat of which is mentioned in the article? 87.75.117.183 (talk) 21:29, 27 May 2024 (UTC)