Bankers

Are you as angry as I am about these bankers?

These “top” bankers, who’ve received huge bonuses and pensions, whilst leading their banks and the economy to ruin?

From Sir Fred Goodwin (ex-RBS) to Sir James Crosby (ex-HBOS), they have no shame.

Yet we must not fall for Gordon Brown’s spin. He wants to put the blame for our economy on others – whether it’s US sub-prime markets, the global recession or bankers. So we don’t recall he was Chancellor for ten years.

Well, as Chancellor, he could have brought these bankers to book. Gordon Brown could have criticised their bonuses – yet he spoke out to support them.

Gordon Brown could have used financial regulations to curb banks’ excesses. He didn’t.

Gordon Brown could have abolished tax loopholes that helped wealthy bankers escape their fair share of tax. Instead, Gordon invented more generous tax loopholes.

The problem for the Conservatives, however, is that they never criticised Gordon Brown for any of this. In fact, the Conservatives’ only criticism was that Gordon Brown was regulating the financial sector too much.

It is extraordinary to hear the Conservatives’ Treasury Spokesman, George Osbourne, complain about bankers, when the Tories receive so much financial backing from the City.

The person who has been speaking out against bonuses, banks and tax loopholes, for many years now is Vince Cable MP, the Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesman.

It’s why I believe, when we listen to different politicians offering solutions to our economic woes, we should first ask: what is their track record on the economy?