Two of the biggest movers in the exotic world of derivatives have fallen out over a girl called Sonia. The Wholesale Markets Brokers' Association, the trade body for, oh, work it out yourself, believes that Sonia's heart is its alone, but the people at Liffe, the London financial futures market, plan a liaison. At this stage I have to admit that Sonia stands for the Sterling Overnight Interbank Average, a benchmark for a new contract that Liffe launches next month.

The WMBA put out a terse statement yesterday that “it has not entered into an agreement with Liffe” with regard to the contract, and that Sonia is one of its trademarks. Stewart Lloyd-Jones, the chief executive, refused to comment further, or speculate on any legal action. Liffe isn't commenting either, but I rather gather that the market regards Sonia as general property, a bit like the FTSE indices, to be used by all. Which makes Sonia quite a girl. The slut.

You couldn't make it up

Can this really be true? Fru Hazlitt, who has just sold the radio company GCap for £375 million, is talking to the magazine Real Business about making it as a female executive, and how it is important not to hide your strengths as a woman. “I'm still not honest enough,” she says. “Even now, I get my PA to say I'm at a meeting rather than taking my kids to school.”

The importance of runways

How much trouble are we in? And is the worst over? Lots and no, according to Sir Ronald Cohen, the venture capitalist, co-founder and past chairman of Apax Partners and confidant of Gordon Brown. He told a conference of entrepreneurs recently that we were all of one third of the way into the downturn. Put long-term financing in place, defer spending and cut costs now, was his advice to the audience. “You've got to make sure you've got enough runway ahead of you so that you can take off.” It would, he said, be easy for Britain to slide back to the anti-business culture that existed when he started Apax in 1972. “The situation for entrepreneurs is fragile.”

Scottish legal system

I read in a column by a Senior and Respected Political and City Commentator, who is fulminating about the dynastic habits of the Labour Party, that Wendy Alexander, the accident-prone head of the Scottish Labour Party, is married to the geekish minister Douglas Alexander. I had no idea that sort of thing was still legal in Scotland. It does explain a lot ...

Honest homeopathy

At last, a site selling homeopathic remedies that is entirely honest. FairDeal Homeopathy offers a range of products, making it clear that none of them can be relied on to work. “Homeopathy works through a complicated interaction with the human body and mind known as the placebo effect. The placebo effect is still not fully understood but is very effective for certain conditions.” In the Q&As: “I'm actually ill. Can FairDeal Homeopathy help me?” “Go to your doctor immediately.” The site appears entirely genuine, and each “treatment” costs £4.99.

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