The loveless union that might prosper. (Opinion).(WPP Group manager Martin Sorrell and Tempus founder Chris Ingram)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Few doubted that Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP group would launch an immediate appeal against last Thursday's decision by the Takeover Panel to reject its attempt to pull out of its 434 million [pounds sterling] agreed offer for Tempus. The appeal may be lengthy, for Sorrell is not one to give up without a fight, but it is unlikely to be successful. Sorrell may have to admit that he has been wrong-footed by a market that was already turbulent before the 11 September terrorist attacks.

Now we must look at the future and what this means for WPP, for Tempus and for its founder, Chris Ingram.

For WPP, whose share price rose 34p to 593p last week when it issued third-quarter results that were no worse than expected, the Tempus acquisition comes at the wrong price but is strategically sound and small in terms of the group's global gameplan. Tempus' CIA network, whose strength is in Europe, makes a sound fit with WPP's The Media Edge, which is concentrated in the US. It is ironic that only three years ago, when Y&R was an independent group, Tempus spent months exploring the possibility of merging CIA with The Media Edge.

For Tempus, which has finally lost the independence of which it ...