Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken wall at 10 Downing Street ; one from London , another from Bristol and the third, Liverpool .
They go with a government official to examine the wall.
The London contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil.
‘Well’, he says, ‘I figure the job will run about £900: £400 for materials, £400 for my crew and £100 profit for me.’
