Ministers should not be getting tough with RBS (LON:RBS) for paying bonuses to investment bankers – it should be getting tough with the bank for paying any bonuses at all, even to counter staff at NatWest or Coutts.
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Nevermind that the Bank of England kept secret for a year its massive loan to HBoS and RBS (LON:RBS), why on earth did it choose to break its silence on the day Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY) announces its record rights issue?
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How do you force banks to lend when their best customers don’t want to borrow? Make them lend to their worst customers?
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British Leyland proved the benefit of not throwing away old brands: each time its image became too tarnished it reverted to one of its old names.
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The RBS (LON:RBS) shareholders threatening to sue their former directors and advisers over last year’s rights issue have a point. If the board knew the bank’s problems they were fraudulent in seeking new capital and if they didn’t, they should.
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Every UK household has more than £3,000 invested in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds (LON:LLOY) shares, admitted UKFI, the government agency looking them for us, as it spelt out ways of selling them and the problems involved. So why not just give each household its shares?

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Stephen Hester is set to become Britain’s first £10m nationalised industry boss and all he has to do is double the share price of Royal Bank of Scotland. In a bear market and from a bombed out value, that surely can’t be that hard?
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When spending on all other forms of marketing is being slashed, it is not surprising sports sponsorship is struggling. Some of the best deals came from sponsors that could not afford them.
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Finally the chancellor is to admit what this blog has long been warning. Rather than result in a profit for taxpayers, the bank rescues will leave us with a large loss. The point now is who pays?
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At last there is an official inquiry into how the banking crisis happened – but not into punishing those responsible or compensating those that suffered. It is something the government should consider in this year’s budget or next year’s general election.
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