UK

  • 15 Dec 2010 at 1:21 PM

Some British Bankers Fighting For Their Rights More Than Others

By Bess Levin

Perhaps rightfully so, British bankers have had it up to here [here] with their government. The anger stems from freaky ass rules officials would like to impose on financial services chippies (for instance, rules that would cap top execs’ cash bonuses at 20 percent of total total compensation and proposals to tax the shit out of them) and the general feeling that the government is too mean to bankers. So sick are they that enough is enough. Led by Barclays chief John Varley and British Bankers Association head Angela Knight, a “fresh effort” has been waged to say “we’re not going to take this anymore.” How serious is this thing? Serious enough to warrant a code name involving wizards. Continue reading »

  • 16 Nov 2010 at 12:43 PM

Ireland Might Get A Little Money To Tide Itself Over, If Country Can Swallow Its Pride

By Bess Levin

The Journal reports that “European finance ministers working on an international aid package for Ireland want the U.K. to make bilateral loans to Dublin as part of a larger aid package that could total up to €100 billion ($136 billion) and include credit from the euro zone and International Monetary Fund,” according to people familiar with the matter. The deal for the banks would be around €45 billion to €50 billion, while “a broader package designed to restore confidence in Ireland’s public finances as well could range from €80 billion to €100 billion.” However, we’re not there yet, as some people are too proud to take a handout. Continue reading »

  • 15 Nov 2010 at 11:33 AM
  • Banks

Bonus Watch ’10: Bankers And Traders Working For UK Firms To Get Nada After Taxes?

By Bess Levin

The numbers have been crunched and there’s good news and less good news. Continue reading »

  • 14 Oct 2009 at 1:43 PM

UK Firms Can’t Have Women Around The Office On The Off Chance Someone Reaches Out And Touches Them

By Bess Levin

Screen shot 2009-10-14 at 1.54.49 PM.pngFucking women. It’s not that financial services firms in the UK don’t want to employ them, or think they couldn’t do just as bang-up a job as the men. This is not one of those situations.* The Brits love the ladies and would like nothing than more to hire them, and maybe maul them a little on the job. And therein lies the problem. Not with the grabbing of asses, per se. Nothing wrong with that. The issue is with the obscene potential pay-out these chippies could collect in the event their colleagues or superiors decide through no fault of their own to get pawsy.

Continue reading »