Royal Albert Hall sued by ticket holders ‘deprived' of seats
Arthur George, who owns 12 seats in two separate boxes, and William and Alexander Stockler, who together own four seats in one box, say they have been excluded from more performances than the rules allow by the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences, commonly known as the Royal Albert Hall (RAH).
Lawyers for the men are asking a judge to declare that the practice of excluding them from other performances is unlawful, and to grant an injunction to stop the corporation from restricting their access beyond the terms of the Royal Albert Hall Act 1966.
They told the High Court on Friday that seat holders have a 'proprietary right to use their seats, or to otherwise sell or give away their tickets '.
The men are asking a judge to rule in their favour without a trial and award an interim payment of £500,000 in damages, ahead of the full amount being decided.
The corporation is opposing the application, with its lawyers stating the case should proceed to trial.
They told a hearing in London the body has excluded members on other occasions, but this has been approved by members by way of a document titled Memorandum and Guidelines.
David Satwell, representing Mr George and the Stocklers, told the court on Friday: 'This isn't a breach of contract case, we say this is a wrongful use of someone else's property.
'We say, if you take someone else's property and use it, you are liable to compensate the property owner for that use.
'One of the questions is, 'How would those claimants have used their seats?'
'Would they have gone there, would they have sold them, or would they have not used them at all?
'What a property owner does with their property is a matter for them.'
He added: 'If seats have been taken away wrongly, we say you would then have to consider what the value of those seats would have been.'
In written submissions, Mr Satwell said: 'It is not disputed by the parties that the corporation has exceeded its power... by granting more exclusive lets than it is permitted to do under that provision, that it has been doing so for a number of years, and that it intends to do so into the future.
'In 2008, the corporation acknowledged to the members that it had, for several years, been exceeding its entitlement... to treat events as exclusive lets.'
In written submissions for the corporation, Simon Taube KC said: 'The claimants, who have each been members of the corporation since before 2008, appear not to have voted against the Memorandum and Guidelines until the 2023 AGM.'
He added: 'The background to the claim is that in recent years the claimants' relations with the corporation have deteriorated because of the claimants' complaints about various financial matters.'
Mr Taube also said: 'The corporation's case, in very brief outline, is that even if the claimants can identify a theoretical interference with their rights, it does not damage the claimants as members and, in any case, the corporation has a defence based on the claimants' consent to or acquiescence in the granting of additional exclusives.'
The hearing before Sir Anthony Mann is due to conclude on Friday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
6 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Donald Trump says he 'wants to see Scotland thrive' during visit
The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Donald Trump has said he wants to see Scotland 'thrive' during his visit to the country. The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Flanked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the 79-year-old was asked if changes could be made to the UK-US trade deal, which would benefit Scotland. He said: 'I have great love for Scotland.' Speaking of his mother, the President said she would 'religiously' return home every year. He jokingly added: 'When we do our trade deal, a lot of it comes to Scotland, maybe all of it should go to Scotland.' He continued: 'We deal with the UK, but a lot of it comes to Scotland. I was very particular, because this is a part of the world I want to see thrive.' Despite the trade deal agreed between the two countries, a 10% tariff remains on Scotch whisky, one of the country's biggest exports. Asked earlier if that tariff could be dropped or eliminated as a result of the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Trump said: 'We'll talk about that, I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be.' Scottish First Minister John Swinney is expected to raise the issue when he meets the President during his visit to his second course in Aberdeenshire before he returns to the US. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously Scotch whisky is a unique product,' he told BBC Breakfast on Monday. 'It can only be produced in Scotland. It's not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there's a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place. 'Obviously, the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States, but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry. 'So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whisky should be exempted from those tariffs.
Reuters
7 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump eyes 'world tariff' of 15-20% for most countries
TURNBERRY, Scotland, July 28 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday most trading partners that do not negotiate separate trade deals would soon face tariffs of 15% to 20% on their exports to the United States, well above the broad 10% tariff he imposed in April. Trump told reporters his administration will notify some 200 countries soon of their new "world tariff" rate. "I would say it'll be somewhere in the 15 to 20% range," Trump told reporters, sitting alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his luxury golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland. "Probably one of those two numbers." Trump, who has vowed to end decades of U.S. trade deficits by imposing tariffs on nearly all trading partners, has already announced higher rates of up to 50% on some countries, including Brazil, starting on Friday. The announcements have spurred feverish negotiations by a host of countries seeking lower tariff rates, including India, Pakistan, Canada, and Thailand, among others. The U.S. president on Sunday clinched a huge trade deal with the European Union that includes a 15% tariff on most EU goods, $600 billion of investments in the U.S. by European firms, and $750 billion in energy purchases over the next three years. That followed a $550-billion deal with Japan last week and smaller agreements with Britain, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Other talks are ongoing, including with India, but prospects have dimmed for many more agreements before Friday, Trump's deadline for deals before higher rates take effect. Trump has repeatedly said he favors straightforward tariff rates over complex negotiations. "We're going to be setting a tariff for essentially, the rest of the world," he said again on Monday. "And that's what they're going to pay if they want to do business in the United States. Because you can't sit down and make 200 deals." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday trade talks with the U.S. were at an intense phase, conceding that his country was still hoping to walk away with a tariff rate below the 35% announced by Trump on some Canadian imports. Carney conceded this month that Canada - which sends 75% of its exports to the United States - would likely have to accept some tariffs.
Telegraph
7 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Millions to lose up to £18,000 in savings from pension reforms
Millions of workers in their 50s face losing up to £18,000 if the Government accelerates a rise in the state pension age, a leading wealth manager has warned. Rathbones, which manages the savings of older people, said introducing a state retirement age of 68 earlier than planned threatened to hit people aged 51 the hardest, while people aged 52 and 53 would also lose out. The Government is exploring whether to raise the state pension age to 68 more quickly. It is currently set to be phased in from 2044, but Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is considering bringing this forward five years to 2039 as part of the Government's pensions review. According to Rathbones, those aged 51 would lose an entire year's worth of state pension payments if the timetable is accelerated. That would be worth £17,774, assuming today's state pension of £12,000 increases by the so-called triple lock each year. Under the triple lock, the state pension rises by the highest of inflation, average wages or 2.5pc per year. Meanwhile, people aged 52 would miss out on £17,340 and those aged 53 would lose £16,918. Each of those age cohorts – 51, 52 and 53-year-olds – comprise some 800,000 people, meaning around 2.4 million risk missing out on significant five-figure sums. Rebecca Williams, from Rathbones, said Britain's ageing population would put a growing strain on the public finances. She said: 'With longevity increasing and population pressures mounting, future generations appear set to face a less generous state pension regime than that enjoyed by many of today's retirees. 'The situation appears particularly precarious for those in their early 50s who face the real prospect of missing out.' The state pension age is currently 66 and will rise to 67 by 2028. Spending increasing Raising the state pension age is likely to prove politically challenging. Previous pension reviews recommended increasing the pension age in the late 2030s, but the move was not put into legislation. However, financial pressure is growing, and Ms Kendall acknowledged when launching her review that she was 'under no illusions' about the scale of the challenge. Estimates from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) show that state pension payments will amount to 5.1pc of GDP this year, up from 3.6pc two decades ago. That bill will keep on mounting, rising to almost 8pc by the 2070s. Overall spending on pensioners, including the state pension, housing benefit and winter fuel payments but not counting healthcare costs, came to £150.7bn last year and will rise to £181.8bn by the end of the decade, according to the OBR. The Government has sought to limit the increase by restricting the share of pensioners who receive winter fuel payments. However, it was forced into a partial about-turn after a backlash from voters and Labour's own backbench MPs, showing the difficulties of reining in benefits spending. It means there is increasing pressure from the public finances to find ways to save money for the long term, potentially including further increases in the pension age. The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that raising the pension age by one year saves the Government around £6bn per year. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, last week said the state of the public purse means the pension age should be increased more rapidly, in line with life expectancy. 'I don't think we can really afford to [wait to the 2040s], to be frank,' Mr Farage said. 'If there is a sudden economic miracle, then it might change that. But it does not look to be happening any time soon.' The International Monetary Fund last week said that if the Government stuck to its promise not to raise taxes on 'working people', then it would have to consider reining in spending, 'to align better the scope of public services with available resources'. 'In particular, the triple lock could be replaced with a policy of indexing the state pension to the cost of living,' the global economic watchdog said.
