Governing for the benefit of Scotland rather than Britain?
Discussion
I thought all this discussion of a 'Scottish Mafia' running the country was overblown.
But now I discover that Alastair Darling is insisting that the HQ of a merged HBOS Lloyds should be located in Scotland in order to preserve Scottish jobs. The English apparently are fine to make redundant.
But now I discover that Alastair Darling is insisting that the HQ of a merged HBOS Lloyds should be located in Scotland in order to preserve Scottish jobs. The English apparently are fine to make redundant.
Oh for forks sake... when will it end?
I am getting sick to my back teeth of this government. What a bunch of self-obsessed morons. I cannot simply get my head around how they can actually think or behave this way. We have some bloody Scot moaning about a Scottish Bank having a HQ in Scotland - BUT it just got bought by an English bank - guess what, the sweaties have no say in the matter.....
On the other hand you have Harriet Harman bleating on about what people earn in the city but she's raking around £180,000 a year! When will it end?
Oh, and while I remember, there are some in the Labour party who want a new leader and PM. Er, no thanks. That would make second PM that I wouldn't have voted for. There has got to be some constitutional issue with that - I never voted for the current one either, but he is still managing to screw everything up. The last thing I want is another moron who is unelected doing the same thing - what happened to democracy?
I am getting sick to my back teeth of this government. What a bunch of self-obsessed morons. I cannot simply get my head around how they can actually think or behave this way. We have some bloody Scot moaning about a Scottish Bank having a HQ in Scotland - BUT it just got bought by an English bank - guess what, the sweaties have no say in the matter.....
On the other hand you have Harriet Harman bleating on about what people earn in the city but she's raking around £180,000 a year! When will it end?
Oh, and while I remember, there are some in the Labour party who want a new leader and PM. Er, no thanks. That would make second PM that I wouldn't have voted for. There has got to be some constitutional issue with that - I never voted for the current one either, but he is still managing to screw everything up. The last thing I want is another moron who is unelected doing the same thing - what happened to democracy?
off_again said:
Oh, and while I remember, there are some in the Labour party who want a new leader and PM. Er, no thanks. That would make second PM that I wouldn't have voted for. There has got to be some constitutional issue with that - I never voted for the current one either, but he is still managing to screw everything up. The last thing I want is another moron who is unelected doing the same thing - what happened to democracy?
You vote for a member of parliament to represent your constituency. You don't vote for a prime minister. This is not a carefully considered merger. This is a hastily improvised alternative to a Government rescue. Therefore all this stuff about ' a good fit' etc is b
ks. Of course there are going to be job losses, most likely in Scotland, and I doubt if part of the deal is going to be Lloyds TSB moving its HQ to Edinburgh. Its apparently going to be called Lloyds Halifax. So one of the biggest names in Scottish Banking bites the dust. Alex Salmond is doing his level best to see to it that the Government takes the blame (as they deserve to) for the consequent problems when in due course they happen.
The Government, rightly, fear a total wipeout in Scotland at the next election, so they have to try to do something to save face, but I don't think you can characterize this odd bit of PR spin and siting an odd call centre as particularly favouring Scotland, however you look at it. Where do you think that all HBOS credit cards are managed from by the way? Dunfermline. Gordie's constituency, if you didn't know.
When the wipeout happens I have little doubt that we are looking at an independent Scotland, which if Blair even cared was the obvious outcome from the moment their idiotic referendum was even suggested. They all seem to think that there is this vast silent constituency out there who are going to shy away from Scottish independence. I have bad news for them. Apart from me, they all died off in the 1950's. And frankly I can't see that an independent scotland would be noticeably worse than the soviet satellite gulag we have at present.
ks. Of course there are going to be job losses, most likely in Scotland, and I doubt if part of the deal is going to be Lloyds TSB moving its HQ to Edinburgh. Its apparently going to be called Lloyds Halifax. So one of the biggest names in Scottish Banking bites the dust. Alex Salmond is doing his level best to see to it that the Government takes the blame (as they deserve to) for the consequent problems when in due course they happen.The Government, rightly, fear a total wipeout in Scotland at the next election, so they have to try to do something to save face, but I don't think you can characterize this odd bit of PR spin and siting an odd call centre as particularly favouring Scotland, however you look at it. Where do you think that all HBOS credit cards are managed from by the way? Dunfermline. Gordie's constituency, if you didn't know.
When the wipeout happens I have little doubt that we are looking at an independent Scotland, which if Blair even cared was the obvious outcome from the moment their idiotic referendum was even suggested. They all seem to think that there is this vast silent constituency out there who are going to shy away from Scottish independence. I have bad news for them. Apart from me, they all died off in the 1950's. And frankly I can't see that an independent scotland would be noticeably worse than the soviet satellite gulag we have at present.
Edited by cardigankid on Friday 19th September 11:43
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/ind...
LTSB rescues them and then it's English jobs which go!! LTSB should pull out and let them sink without trace.
The Times said:
The architects of the £12 billion rescue of HBOS were accused yesterday of playing politics with jobs after a clause was inserted into the deal that appears to protect jobs in Scotland, despite no equivalent reassurance for workers south of the Border.
Managers of the new superbank are under pressure to find savings by cutting tens of thousands of jobs, but analysts said that a deal that was easier on employees in Scotland would likely result in more redundancies in England and Wales.
The clause on page one of the formal takeover document promises that “the management focus is to keep jobs in Scotland”. There is no similar reassurance about jobs in England and Wales.
With the Glenrothes by-election weeks away and support for Labour draining away in one of its traditionally strongest heartlands, the Government is desperate not to alienate Scottish voters.
FFS!Managers of the new superbank are under pressure to find savings by cutting tens of thousands of jobs, but analysts said that a deal that was easier on employees in Scotland would likely result in more redundancies in England and Wales.
The clause on page one of the formal takeover document promises that “the management focus is to keep jobs in Scotland”. There is no similar reassurance about jobs in England and Wales.
With the Glenrothes by-election weeks away and support for Labour draining away in one of its traditionally strongest heartlands, the Government is desperate not to alienate Scottish voters.
LTSB rescues them and then it's English jobs which go!! LTSB should pull out and let them sink without trace.
Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Friday 19th September 13:42
onomatopoeia said:
off_again said:
Oh, and while I remember, there are some in the Labour party who want a new leader and PM. Er, no thanks. That would make second PM that I wouldn't have voted for. There has got to be some constitutional issue with that - I never voted for the current one either, but he is still managing to screw everything up. The last thing I want is another moron who is unelected doing the same thing - what happened to democracy?
You vote for a member of parliament to represent your constituency. You don't vote for a prime minister. Given that the leader at the time has an impact on decision making process, it does seem odd that there is nothing that you or I can do about this.
Vesuvius 996 said:
LTSB rescues them and then it's English jobs which go!! LTSB should pull out and let them sink without trace.
Don't be a prat soov. LTSB are getting a bank that they have wanted to buy for a long time, as a comparative bargain, with all the competition barriers removed. They care not one jot what accent their staff will have.I suspect Victor Blank has a s
t-eating grin the width of the isle of wight at the moment. In fact he's probably working on the assumption that by the time the merger completes, and by the time they have completed a strategiic review of busness, the Labnour party, and Mr Darling will be long gone.... then they can send all the jobs to India.
scotal said:
Vesuvius 996 said:
LTSB rescues them and then it's English jobs which go!! LTSB should pull out and let them sink without trace.
Don't be a prat soov. LTSB are getting a bank that they have wanted to buy for a long time, as a comparative bargain, with all the competition barriers removed. They care not one jot what accent their staff will have.I suspect Victor Blank has a s
t-eating grin the width of the isle of wight at the moment. In fact he's probably working on the assumption that by the time the merger completes, and by the time they have completed a strategiic review of busness, the Labnour party, and Mr Darling will be long gone.... then they can send all the jobs to India.
My point is that LTSB rescued HBOS, but now we find that the gubberment has put a racist clause on page 1 of the Sale and Purchase Agreement saying that they will protect Scottish jobs over English ones, when the English bank is the one doing to rescue. This has been done by Gordo and Darling (both scottish MPs.)
Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Friday 19th September 13:51
Los Angeles said:
The Scots regard Brown and Darling as the worst chancellors ever to do nothing for Scotland.
I cannot put it any simpler or blunt than that.
The emphasis is on "do nothing." I defy anybody to state what Brown did for Scotland when chancellor that benefitted Scotland alone. That is one key reason why he will lose his seat in Fife at the next general election, and why Darling's might also be taken om him.
The instruction to keep an HQ (no details of what that actually entails) almost certainly arise because HBOS is by far the biggest of the banks, but that does not mean the majority of redundancies won't hit the old Bank of Scotland outlets in Scotland. The detauils of the amalgamation are still getting discussed and decided. In any event, if we have a Union what does it mean if not an equitable share of things?
The point is that on PAGE ONE of the Sale and Purchase Agreement, there is a statement which says that scottish jobs will be saved over English ones.I cannot put it any simpler or blunt than that.
The emphasis is on "do nothing." I defy anybody to state what Brown did for Scotland when chancellor that benefitted Scotland alone. That is one key reason why he will lose his seat in Fife at the next general election, and why Darling's might also be taken om him.
The instruction to keep an HQ (no details of what that actually entails) almost certainly arise because HBOS is by far the biggest of the banks, but that does not mean the majority of redundancies won't hit the old Bank of Scotland outlets in Scotland. The detauils of the amalgamation are still getting discussed and decided. In any event, if we have a Union what does it mean if not an equitable share of things?
Shall I get the race card out now?
times comment said:
You all miss the point. The bank of Scotland will be demerged at an appropriate moment so that Scotland, as a separate nation, will have its own national bank. Headquartered in Edinburgh. The key is the continuance of printing the national currency of Scotland. Gordon wants a Scottish peerage.
I wonder if the person who posted this on the times site has a point?Los Angeles said:
Vesuvius 996 said:
The point is that on PAGE ONE of the Sale and Purchase Agreement, there is a statement which says that scottish jobs will be saved over English ones.
That wording seems very unlikely.Are you exaggerating for effect?
If true, and you are asking me to take you at your word, what does that mean? Scots in England, or English in Scotland? There are a Lloyds banks in Scotland, as well as HBOS. There are also key international investment units in Edinburgh staffed by talented English folk.
The Times said:
The architects of the £12 billion rescue of HBOS were accused yesterday of playing politics with jobs after a clause was inserted into the deal that appears to protect jobs in Scotland, despite no equivalent reassurance for workers south of the Border.
Managers of the new superbank are under pressure to find savings by cutting tens of thousands of jobs, but analysts said that a deal that was easier on employees in Scotland would likely result in more redundancies in England and Wales.
The clause on page one of the formal takeover document promises that “the management focus is to keep jobs in Scotland”. There is no similar reassurance about jobs in England and Wales.
With the Glenrothes by-election weeks away and support for Labour draining away in one of its traditionally strongest heartlands, the Government is desperate not to alienate Scottish voters.
Managers of the new superbank are under pressure to find savings by cutting tens of thousands of jobs, but analysts said that a deal that was easier on employees in Scotland would likely result in more redundancies in England and Wales.
The clause on page one of the formal takeover document promises that “the management focus is to keep jobs in Scotland”. There is no similar reassurance about jobs in England and Wales.
With the Glenrothes by-election weeks away and support for Labour draining away in one of its traditionally strongest heartlands, the Government is desperate not to alienate Scottish voters.
Los Angeles said:
No - you are quoting a newspaper - not the document. Try again.
Try this one then.Reuters said:
Yesterday the Chancellor admitted that he had made his concern about the future of HBOS's iconic Edinburgh HQ 'very clear' to Lloyds TSB bosses.
The company insisted that it would retain the Edinburgh office, continue to print Bank of Scotland banknotes and said its 'management focus' would be on saving as many staff as possible north of the border.
City analysts have been taken aback by the merger document's specific pledge to 'keep jobs in Scotland' and pointed out that it sat uneasily with an overall drive to find £1billion in job cuts.
They said it appeared that employees in England would face the brunt of the cutbacks.
Mr Darling told Radio 5 Live: 'HBOS and the new group will continue to have a very significant presence in Scotland.
'I can well understand, not least because I happen to be an Edinburgh MP, where a lot of my constituents work for HBOS, people will be concerned.
The company insisted that it would retain the Edinburgh office, continue to print Bank of Scotland banknotes and said its 'management focus' would be on saving as many staff as possible north of the border.
City analysts have been taken aback by the merger document's specific pledge to 'keep jobs in Scotland' and pointed out that it sat uneasily with an overall drive to find £1billion in job cuts.
They said it appeared that employees in England would face the brunt of the cutbacks.
Mr Darling told Radio 5 Live: 'HBOS and the new group will continue to have a very significant presence in Scotland.
'I can well understand, not least because I happen to be an Edinburgh MP, where a lot of my constituents work for HBOS, people will be concerned.
Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Friday 19th September 14:22
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