And even if they are employees, maybe they have an axe to grind.

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He may well have an axe to grind as well as a book to sell, but he is not the first person to call for Mr Ballmer to be replaced.

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Companies that have an axe to grind with the European Competition Commission will be more compelled to take legal action against it now that the regulator has been told for the first time to pay damages for misjudging the legality of a takeover.

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He will be replaced by Bernard Cazeneuve, the Europe minister, who will immediately have to wrestle with his fellow ministers over where the axe will fall in an unprecedented effort to cut France's big public spending bill.

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"None of the members has an axe to grind, none of them are paid to do this work and all have an active part to play either on the periphery of heath care or involved as clinicians delivering care, " he said.

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