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Thanks to lobbying by Nottingham MP Alan Simpson who is expected to speak his mind in the libel-free House of Commons when it reconvenes next week the Trade Secretary has formally requested the DTI to launch an investigation into the sale of Sturmey Archer

Philip Darnton, the MD of Raleigh, today faxed us with his take on the Sturmey Archer debacle

Sturmey Archer made a loss in 1999, the first for years. It was therefore under-performing and had to go. The fact it had an expensive move forced upon it by Derby pocketing the proceeds from the sale of its factory also meant it was now a company with debts

Todays Nottingham Evening Post leads with a cover story entitled: Broken dreams. Sturmey Archer sold for under £50. This is a safe version of the business editors story on Sturmey Archer, Derby and Lenark. He has tons of much more salicious information and this will be rolled out next week

Effjay, an anonymous poster to our bulletin board, has put forward three companies he thinks might be interested in buying Sturmey Archer. Joy and Falcon of Taiwan, and Shimano of Japan. It might be one of the former, but it sure aint the latter...