In our younger years we’re brought up on many make beliefs – the tooth fairy, the bogeyman and my favourite of all – the money tree.
In fact, whenever my moneybox lacked that confident rattle, I would seek out my wellies and head to the far end of the garden in search of “The Tree”, but alas, to this very day, I still haven’t found it.
In the midst of the recession, I can’t help but question whether certain personalities of parliament, along with the many still surviving the banking industry are looking for their money tree? And as the global moneybox continues to empty, I choose to highlight a few key issues.
Fact 1: Over 1 million consumers celebrate the chance to reclaim bank charges of up to £1 billion!
Last week saw the Court of Appeal reject the banks’ case that these fees were part of the “core” agreement with customers. Stop!! Despite this win, I wouldn’t celebrate just yet! Momentum may be high now, but I suspect it’ll soon peater out as the case is drawn out over the year via the House of Lords. The banks will, of course, appeal this decision and try to overturn this ruling as they hold on with dear life to the £2.6 billion (of your money) these charges produce each year.
Fact 2: Lloyds Banking Group confirmed that HBOS, which it absorbed in January, made a pre-tax loss of £10.8bn in 2008.
43% of this bank is funded by the public. With this in mind, should we be asking “when” rather than “if”, we’ll get our say in how our funds are used with the banks we rescue? With the nation full of panic, redundancy and debt, shouldn’t we be allowed to choose where our tax payments go and how they’re used…after all, is that not the meaning of democracy? Or is that purely for voting in the Euro and inner city congestion charges?
Fact 3: Lloyds TSB announced 80% losses as shares fall 22%;
Despite losses for the general public who bought their shares in good faith and still struggle to pay their bills and mortgages, Sir Fred Goodwin, Former RBS Chairman enjoys his £693,000 pension. And, at the same time, the UK’s Financial Services Authority currently debates whether bankers should now be receiving higher salaries to compensate for the reduction, if not deletion of bonuses. Lucky them!!
It seems the credit crunch only applies to those not in the banking industry?! Do the bankers have their very own money tree at the bottom of the garden?
As they carry on spending their way into further debt to either resuscitate a dying brand or pad out a profit line and salary bracket, I wonder….what do they know that we don’t? …Now, where are my wellies?
