Ultimately, these choices are exactly the same as those which faced Sir Iain Vallance, but the hope is that Sir Christopher will push at least some of them through.

BBC: Can Bland revive BT?

The merger was designed, in Sir Iain Vallance's words, to create "one of the first great companies of the 21st century", which would deliver expansion on a global scale.

BBC: Sir Peter Bonfield: A profile

That it has taken so long to produce a plan with few surprises will hardly reassure investors that a management still led by its (excessively) executive chairman, Sir Iain Vallance, and its chief executive, Sir Peter Bonfield, has the capacity for speedy execution that distinguishes followers from leaders.

ECONOMIST: British Telecom