Politics
Wednesday, 11th March 2009
Fraser Nelson reviews the week in politics
The right to keep one’s political affiliation secret is in many eyes a sacred feature of British life. There are households where married couples don’t tell each other how they vote. Those who grew up during the Cold War era remember the years when, in some countries, party membership was a grim prerequisite of a halfway decent life. So it is still a matter of pride that, in Britain, one is never required to discuss one’s political beliefs. Unless, that is, you want to do a certain type of business with the state-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland.
Geoff Robbins, a Cheshire-based computer consultant, recently approached RBS to ask for a credit-card processing facility for his business. After the usual bankers’ inquisition, he was asked a question that knocked him for six: did he have any political affiliation? Did he know any MPs, councillors or mayors? It was a new question, the lady explained to him, which had been introduced soon after the government took control of RBS. She said, in his paraphrase, that ‘political influences may be used for corrupt purposes’.
When I first heard Mr Robbins’s story, it seemed hard to believe. But the more I considered the context of this government’s apparently irrepressible desire to pry into every aspect of out lives, the more it had the awful ring of truth. I decided to investigate further and called RBS, who issued an outright denial. ‘We would never ask such a question, nor would we dream of doing so,’ said its spokeswoman. So Mr Robbins had concocted his story? Unconvinced, I called RBS Streamline, posing as an employee for my mother-in-law’s (real) company and asking for the same service.
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Denis Cooper
March 12th, 2009 8:21am Report this commentSome years ago I was asking "How low can they sink?", and my answer then was "A lot further", and that's still my answer now.
I can't immediately see any limit to the degradation they'll inflict on this country, in so many different ways.
My problem is that I don't see the Official Opposition up in arms about the right things, or saying what they would do get us out the gutter.
I see a Tory spokesman on TV complaining that somebody knew, or should have known, something about Sir Fred Goodwin's pension, but I don't see a Tory spokesman condemning Darling's "Asset Protection Scheme" as a potentially colossal fraud against taxpayers.
Or I see a Tory spokesman on TV demanding that Gordon Brown should apologise for getting us in this mess, but I don't see a Tory spokesman pointing out that the scheme for Quantitative Easing has been structured so that for every pound the government borrows from gilts investors, some of which are now state-owned, it will now borrow two pounds from the Bank of England.
Ken
March 12th, 2009 8:57am Report this commentFine piece Mr Nelson.
To your concerns might be added those raised by your Telegraph colleague Iain Martin.
He notes yesterday that the cost of the Lloyds-HSBOS scandal -- possibly close to half the £663 billion bill for the Second World War -- was designed essentially to save Brown from a Glenrothes defeat and ejection from No 10.
Is there no end to the putrefaction of politics under these fiendish marxists.
James Travers
March 12th, 2009 10:37am Report this commentI could feel myself going pale the more I read this excellent article.
Taken to potential future cenario: At what point down the line will people not be able to use banks or get support from banks i.e. loans mortgages etc. if they are not affiliated with a particular political party. Let's not underestimate what is happening here, as soon as enough of the data is collated and with a click of a button on an computer, the banks will effectively started to split customers into supporters/ non-supporters with the services being only available to those who meet the correct "political "criteria.
Jamie
March 12th, 2009 11:31am Report this commentExcellent article, great bit of investigative journalism.
It's funny, not too long ago I got a leaflet in the post from one of the nationalised banks (of which I am a customer) saying that,
"when you ask to withdraw larger amounts from your account, we'll ask for proof of your identity".
It goes on to list 3 types of accepted ID - drivers license, passport or credit/ debit card.
Wonder how long it will be before the only accepted ID is the 'voluntary' ID cards.
You would've thought the nationalised banks were doing the governments work for them...
oldrightie
March 12th, 2009 11:58am Report this commentA chilling story, indeed. Your money safe in their hands? I think not.
Minnie
March 12th, 2009 12:08pm Report this commentThis is an extremely worrying article not because it is happening but because Gordon Brown now feels he can get away with it.
One would hope that this was not true but I have yet to see the Conservative opposition really perform as an opposition. In fact I have not seen it for eleven years. Mistakenly,they have been so busy being a slightly right wing clone that they have forgotten how, or do not dare, to be critical of the Government.
So I, who am outraged at the continued theft by, and dishonesty and lack of any competence of, Geordon Brown, have no party for which to vote.
If ever there was a need for a real Tory party to come back then this is it.
Possibly we should be looking for a clone of Robert Peel.
john
March 12th, 2009 12:32pm Report this comment"Mission accomplished agent Brown".Comrade Putin.
Christopher Chantrill
March 12th, 2009 8:00pm Report this commentThe surprising thing is that it's taken so long for the politicians to take over the banks. The chaps in the City first agreed to sell the government's debt back in 1692 in return for a monopoly on note issue. It's taken till now for the politicians to summon the courage to grab the whole banking kaboodle.
I suppose that in the old days, there were certain things that were just "not done," even by politicians.
Jim
March 13th, 2009 5:01am Report this commentSo one group of crooks have taken over another group of crooks and honest people pay.
Surely this has always been the way of government? At the end of the day the government will keep on stealing until the people stop them. So far there is no sign of that happening, but even the eternal optimists should be realising that Britain is bankrupt, they won't be getting a pension and that the government is fascist.
Susan Wade Weeks
March 13th, 2009 9:49am Report this commentIt is positively terrifying to discover the damage that these people (the Labour Party and Gordon Brown in particular)have done to our country.
What is hard to understand is that 30% of the electorate is still prepared to support them.
TV news editors need to bite the bullet (and the hand that feeds) and put this information unavoidably and succinctly in front of the viewing public.
Susan Wade Weeks
March 13th, 2009 9:54am Report this commentConservative Opposition to Gordon Brown's Government IS appropriately strong and vocal. The problem lies with airtime, exposure and editing.
The media controls what the people see.
THE ESSEX BOYS
March 13th, 2009 10:55am Report this commentWELL PUT FRASER!
WE RECEIVED THIS EMAILED JOKE YESTERDAY.
JOKE? WE/METHINKS NOT!
This is unbelievable, but true!
Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 600 employees and has the following employee statistics ..
29 have been accused of spouse abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
9 have been accused of writing bad cheque's
17 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
84 have been arrested for drink driving in the last year
Which organisation is this ?
It's the 635 members of the House of Commons, the same group that cranks out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us inline.
What a bunch of bastards we have running our country - it says it all. And just to top all that they probably have the best 'corporate' pension scheme in the country!!
occasional ranter
March 13th, 2009 3:52pm Report this commentOh FFS ! Is it just a slow news day, or is the Spectator completely devoid of anyone who has heard of the anti money laundering (AML) legislation ?
The AML stuff specifically requires a higher standard of due diligence to be used when establishing the identity of "politically exposed persons".
All your rant amounts to is the discovery that some "coalface" staff at RBS don't know the AML requirements very well either, but of course the nice lady who called you back later did. Shock horror - large organisation has some staff who don't understand its procedures.
No doubt RBS has been reviewing its AML policies like many other areas in light of its recent trauma, but to paint that as some sort of Orwellian nightmare is below you.
This is just the sort of torturing of facts, the straining to fit everything into a fixed and partisan worldview, that Brown himself is guilty of.
Ahhh - I feel better now.
Robert
March 13th, 2009 4:21pm Report this commentThe YooKay is spiritually, morally and financially bankrupt.
Lets call the whole thing off.
Sara
March 14th, 2009 7:34am Report this commentWelcome to the new world order where banks own us all and the Leftist government owns the banks. I am really getting sick of the eilte.
JohnAnt
March 14th, 2009 3:54pm Report this commentBrilliant article - should be made compulsory reading for the Shadow Cabinet.
It leads one to ask, yet again, for how much longer Cameron can afford to leave the one man out of the Tory team who knows what's going on: John Redwood.
sean
April 11th, 2009 7:28pm Report this commentNatWest Bank are part of RBS and they have for years required identification by passport or drivers licence if one wants to withdraw more than £2o0 in cash of one's own money over the counter.
The reason allegedly is to prevent money laundering.
Yet it is possible to draw £200 per day from an ATM every day until the money runs out.
Banks are as ever, petty and stupid when they claim to implement the law.
On another occassion I wished to make an overseas payment in the sum of US$ 3000, I was asked for the same ID on the grounds of Natwest rules on money laundering.
Money laundering regulation relates to sums in excess of £6000 sterling.
When I pointed this out the manager insisted I was wrong.
Also do not bother to go to Natwest for a singature on a passport application. Head office said they must not do it, because the managers address has to be on the form.
The idiots do not relaize it is the branch address they want.
This is yet another ruling for the mystery men at head Office in the bowels of the City.
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