HAS GORDON BROWN BEEN ASLEEP ON THE JOB AS USUAL ?
Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts
One of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s (pictured above) key advisers was today accused of sacking a whistleblower who warned banks were heading for disaster years before the financial meltdown. Paul Moore, the HBOS bank’s head of risk between 2002 and 2004, alleges he told directors back in 2004 that the company was in danger of becoming out of control. “Anyone whose eyes were not blinded by money, power, greed and pride” would have realised problems were mounting for HBOS and other banks, he argued. He alleges he was summarily dismissed for speaking out and replaced by someone with no risk experience by then boss Sir James Crosby. Sir James is currently deputy chairman of the Financial Services Authority and one of the Prime Minister’s favourite private sector advisers. So Gordon and his advisors were warned but were asleep on the job. What a surprise .
The explosive claims emerged in a tense session of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, as former HBOS and RBS bank chiefs (pictured above) were grilled about their roles in the financial crisis. In written evidence given to Parliament, Mr Moore said: “When I was head of group risk I certainly knew that the bank was going too fast and told them. The bank’s approach was a serious risk to financial stability and consumer protection,” he added. He also accused executives of ”threatening behaviour” to himself and his colleagues when they were trying to oversee the bank’s compliance with regulations. Earlier, the HBOS chiefs and ex-RBS bosses had all given a poor performance at trying to present grovelling apologies for the crisis – before defending themselves to the hilt. They stressed they too had been victims of the credit crunch (wonder how much cash THEY lost ?) and denied being personally to blame for taking their banks to the brink in the first place, insisting they had acted responsibly. Yeah sure. It’s not the Select Committee guys of this ilk should be facing – it’s a court of law.
In the UK Kent Police Force apparently takes pride in being one of the most gay-friendly (above) employers in the country. And now they’re organising a gay essay writing competition for schoolchildren. Children under 14 have been asked to pen 200 words on what they understand by “All different, same respect.” It is the slogan for a series of events being organised by Kent Police, ranked fourth most gay-friendly employer in Britain, and Kent County Council, to mark Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender history month. So far there has been a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender dinner dance complete with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender “‘artiste”, soon to be followed by a gay quiz night and a seminar entitled “‘From outcast to out.” For the whole of this month there will be an exhibition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender history in the foyer of the police training college for new recruits to study. Are we to conclude then from the scandalous waste of public money on all this politically correct bollocks that there is now no crime left to investigate in Kent ? Or are any hard pressed taxpayers being mugged, burgled, defrauded or vandalised going to be accused of homophobia if they have the temerity to suggest that the Kent police should be concentrating on preventing and solving crime instead of indulging in a lot of puerile “inclusive” anti-heterosexual nonsense ? And incidentally, there was a time not so long ago when advocating and promoting homosexuality in schools would have got you a jail sentence, not a commendation from the Chief Constable.
The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (pictured above) yesterday conceded the prospect of talks with the US, less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama said face-to-face discussions could take place within months. “The new US administration has announced that they want to produce change and pursue the course of dialogue. It is quite clear that real change must be fundamental and not tactical. It is clear the Iranian nation welcomes real changes,” Ahmadinejad told a rally in Tehran’s Freedom Square during celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Islamic revolution. He went on : “The Iranian nation is ready to hold talks, but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect. The world was entering an era of dialogue and intellect”. Well Mahmoud, dialogue maybe – but intellect ? I think you’ve got to stop the stonings to death and cut back a bit on the calls for genocide before we can be completely assured about THAT.
A story from Northern Ireland that doesn’t involve sectarian violence or terrorism. An advertising campaign urging people to help tackle climate change has been banned by Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister Sammy Wilson (pictured above) because he doesn’t believe humans are the main cause of global warming. Mr Wilson said the adverts suggesting that turning off a television rather than putting it on standby could help save the planet, were “patent nonsense”. The Ulster politician said he was in favour of encouraging people in Northern Ireland to save energy, but added that the link between carbon emissions and global warming was a matter of political debate. The Green Party and the campaign group Friends of the Earth demanded his resignation, but Mr Wilson said he had a right to hold his own opinion on the issue. He said last night : “Why should I resign? I fulfil all my ministerial obligations in all areas of my department, and the idea that I should resign just because I hold a different view from other people on what is a very controversial topic is nonsense. And it just shows the intolerance of these people if they think I should resign because I have a different opinion.” Let’s hope that level of tolerance and acceptance of contrary views is spreading thoughout Northern Ireland on all issues. With a bit of luck peace and harmony will thereby ensue, around the same time that climate change kills everyone off !
In the UK banks could face legal action by disgruntled workers if they are denied bonuses (above) , a leading employment lawyer claimed yesterday. Mr Ronnie Fox is representing clients at three different banks who maintain they are entitled to payouts despite the recent conditions. He specialises in employment law said a large number of bankers could take action if the Government imposes a blanket ban on bonuses. His claims came as a Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister Gordon Brown wants employees at banks which have received state handouts to waive their bonuses. Mr Fox is currently representing “a small number” of clients but said this could expand if the Government clamps down on pay outs. He said: “In each case they have said to me that there are several other people in the same position. I’m acting for a small number but depending on what happens I could be acting for a much larger number. I’m representing some people who are very concerned. What they have to see is what the banks actually do and what the Government makes them do. At the moment the Government’s telling the banks to look very carefully at the bonuses paid to people where the banks have received state aid. Where they have done well or their business unit has done well it’s wrong that they should suffer. There is a shortage of jobs in the sector and some bankers are ‘quite angry’ at the prospect of losing bonuses.” What unbridled arrogance – their victims are losing their JOBS and HOMES, not fat bonuses . So if these greedy sods keep up their moaning – well, OK give them their bonuses – then fire them. After all, the “shortage of jobs in the sector” will give them a taste of the medicine they’ve inflicted on others..
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It seems that no matter what a person does in this day and age – if they are paid an obscene amount of money they apparently can make the biggest mess, make almighty losses … I won’t bother with the list of other things … as long as they say they are sorry – then allegedly that makes everything all right! Whopee! Why not give them a greater bonus, a pay rise, an award, a medal? In jobs where I have received a bonus – we could only get the bonus if the company made extra money on top of its expected end of year income. Has the world gone mad? Why do all these southerners seem to think the rest of the country earns high wages … it is more common for people to be earning around £14,000 per annum than it is for them to be earning around £30,000 and according to many of the overpaid … these poor bank people need to be paid their bonuses so that they can earn a comfortable living. What about the rest of us? Let’s be sensible … bonuses must stop … they can’t be paid to all and sundry – willy nilly – and certainly not when Tax Payers money has bailed out the companies these people work in.