Opposition to the merger has not softened with the passing of years for some critics. “I cannot believe that 20 years on they are trying to resurrect this pitiful corpse of a failed policy that cost members £1.4m to reject in 2005,” said Ken Frost, a long-standing opposer of the merger.
“The proposed merger with CIPFA is a poorly conceived plan that threatens to erode ICAEW’s brand, burden its members with costs and distractions, and sideline their voices in a pivotal decision,” he added in a blog post on his Stop the merger website.
Another one of Frost’s gripes is that only CIPFA members will be getting a vote this time, not ICAEW members. “Most ICAEW members have little to gain from access to CIPFA’s public-sector training or networks, yet they may face increased membership fees or resource redirection to support CIPFA’s distinct offerings.”
