ICAS dons battle kilts

Nationalism raised its ugly head in the world of accountancy again this week, with ICAS going all ‘Braveheart’ over the proposed merger between the ICAEW and CIPFA (and possibly CIMA some time down the line).

TS may paraphrase slightly here but the general reaction was ‘how dare they consider using the name the Institute of Chartered Accountants’, with ICAS president Ian Robertson saying his body would ‘robustly oppose’ a name that was ‘too broad and inaccurate’.

It’s not too hard to see where the beef is here, given ICAS is the oldest accounting institute and doesn’t want the new body to be able to claim bragging rights on what sounds a much more prestigious title.

His argument that institutes throughout the world are differentiated by nationality is a strong one, but would perhaps be stronger if it weren’t just the ‘auld enemy’ saying it.

Whatever your view, you’ve got to admire Robertson’s sly dig at the rather messy merger process with his own name suggestion.

Anyone for ‘ The Institute of Some Chartered Accountants and Public Finance Accountants’? You never know, it might just catch on.