Harriet Harman on Sir Fred Goodwin

1echidna

Whilst I can't feel much sympathy for Sir Fred and his gigantic pension is it worth parliamentary time to change the law (assuming this can be done) and how much will this time cost? Why stop at halving(?) his pension why not force him to change his name from 'Goodwin' to 'Bigloser'?

Jennifer_Jane

I would like to see the honour of the 'Sir' removed from all these bankers. I don't think the pension can be touched, but the bonusses are different, however. We know that they are greedy fatcats who believe they are entitled to all this money.

I would also like to see the nincompoop who negotiated all this, Lord Myners - and his team, publicly shamed and never work again.

It seems to be all boys together, networking and cronyism. Very, very unhealthy.

Jen
x

amcluesent

Just for the record, Harriet is red hot on institutional gender-bias and should always be referred to as 'Harriet Harperson'.

beaujolais-nouveau

1echidna wrote: »

Whilst I can't feel much sympathy for Sir Fred and his gigantic pension is it worth parliamentary time to change the law (assuming this can be done) and how much will this time cost? Why stop at halving(?) his pension why not force him to change his name from 'Goodwin' to 'Bigloser'?

In Iceland, they had to bring in a new law last Thursday just to sack the chief of the Icelandic Central Bank, David Oddsson .

In this country, everything that Gordon Brown is doing to try to avert the collapse of the entire economy is being done without Parliament being asked to look at it, vote on it, take into account their constituents' views on it. We are all now lumbered with decades of vastly increased taxes, without Parliament having had an opportunity to review the measures or even legislate for Parliamentary oversight.

Spending parliamentary time on drafting, debating, amending (if necessary) legislation, is what should be happening - I can understand why you ask "is it worth parliamentary time" but that's what Gordon Brown would like you to think. I am far more worried about how our elected representatives in Parliament are not being allowed any time, any opportunity, to debate and vote on the Prime Minister's piecemeal attempt to head off catastrophe by hitherto cosying up to banks.

maninthestreet

The idea that parliamentary time should be spent debating a new law that is aimed solely at a single, private individual would be laughable, if it wasn't so serious.

Masomnia

beaujolais-nouveau wrote: »

Spending parliamentary time on drafting, debating, amending (if necessary) legislation, is what should be happening - I can understand why you ask "is it worth parliamentary time" but that's what Gordon Brown would like you to think. I am far more worried about how our elected representatives in Parliament are not being allowed any time, any opportunity, to debate and vote on the Prime Minister's piecemeal attempt to head off catastrophe by hitherto cosying up to banks.

I share your concerns, and it is one reason I was dubious about all this gubbins surrounding the pension; the government shouldn't have the right to confiscate legal pensions. But having said that, the Mail reported that our major clearing banks were 3 hours away from closing their doors, turning off the ATMs and so on, I don't think there's time for a full debate.

amcluesent

Can you see what's happening here?

Clown has whipped-up a moral panic over private pensions and will now 'pledge' to create new legislation that allows unfettered claw-back of pension payments.

Forget 'Sir' Fred, Clown has your pension in his sights. Please give generously, there's 8,000,000 idle to be feather bedded by the socialists.

1echidna

Not sure that I trust parliament particularly, as apart from Vince Cable, they all led us into this mess. Cosying up to bankers seemed a good gov't move at the time to curry favour with the electoral middle ground. I am not sure that complex financial details are at all sensibly decided by parliament particularly when there is urgency involved. If parliament for example had to decide on whether the BoE supported a particular bank with a loan and how much that loan would be and at what interest rate it would be a recipe for certain disaster.

1echidna

amcluesent wrote: »

Can you see what's happening here?

Clown has whipped-up a moral panic over private pensions and will now 'pledge' to create new legislation that allows unfettered claw-back of pension payments.

Forget 'Sir' Fred, Clown has your pension in his sights. Please give generously, there's 8,000,000 idle to be feather bedded by the socialists.

If clown has the fat pensions of public service employees in his sights as well more power to his elbow (though not mine of course not that mine is public service or could be described as fat)

ollyshaw

Is Gordon Brown going to give up his pension?

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/brown-refuses-to-hand-back-pension-200902271606/

Masomnia

amcluesent wrote: »

Can you see what's happening here?

Clown has whipped-up a moral panic over private pensions and will now 'pledge' to create new legislation that allows unfettered claw-back of pension payments.

Forget 'Sir' Fred, Clown has your pension in his sights. Please give generously, there's 8,000,000 idle to be feather bedded by the socialists.

I actually share your concerns! It's dangerous. I'd rather see [STRIKE]Sir[/STRIKE] Fred get £693k than Brown have the right to confiscate legal pensions.