An inquiry by MPs into the collapse of Thomas Cook gets under way on Tuesday, with company directors, including Peter Fankhauser, who was chief executive when it went under, the first to appear. It had short-term problems such as the weather and Brexit but Thomas Cook ultimately collapsed under the weight of its mammoth debt pile. Details of meetings with ministers, revealed by the Guardian, show that Thomas Cook executives held increasingly frequent summits with ministers in the months leading up to its failure. Could Thomas Cook have been saved? As the end neared, Thomas Cook directors wanted the government to step in with some sort of financial support but were met with a flat refusal.

Source: The Guardian October 13, 2019 15:11 UTC