Why did the board vote for David Brent over Neil when the branches are merging?
Note: This is about The Office (UK)
In S01E06 ("Judgement") of the Office UK, there is discussion about the Slough and Swindon branches merging. The following conversation occurs between Jennifer and David Brent:
[Jennifer] The point is, my job is now available and the board thought that you or Neil should do it. I can tell you the board have voted 5-2 in favour of you taking it.
[David] Voted for me 5-2? There's only seven on the board. Five out of seven. That's a landslide.
David ends up accepting Jennifer's job, which means that the Slough staff will lose their jobs, but David will get a promotion and move to Swindon (he ends up not getting the job after he fails the health check, but that happens later).
We don't meet Neil until season 2, but when we do it's clear that he's a lot more competent and popular than David. So, why did the board vote for David when it clearly wouldn't be good for the business? It seems very out of character for Jennifer to even recommend David, based on her subsequent tough dealings with him in season 2.
My only thought is that it was a strategic move to save the Swindon staff from redundancy, and then terminate David later on.
Pictures about "Why did the board vote for David Brent over Neil when the branches are merging?"
Why did David Brent not get promoted?
Initially, they pick David Brent (the Michael Scott of this version) to step up, but after David fails his medical with high blood pressure, they promote Tim, the Swindon manager instead.What percentage is Brent?
You're still thinking about the bad news aren't you? David Brent : What's five out of seven as a percentage? Jennifer Taylor-Clark : Er... 70%.The Office Values Outtakes - Microsoft UK Training with David Brent
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