Worrying figures for taxpayers

TAXPAYERS BANKS

GROSS LIABILITIES (Balance sheet size)
100% owned

Northern Rock £99 billion
Bradford and Bingley £52 billion

Likely Majority owned

RBS £2000 billion

Possible Substantial minority shareholding

HBOS £680 billion
Lloyds £368 billion

TOTAL £ 3200 BILLION
TOTAL OF SUBSIDIARIES £ 2150 BILLION

LOSSES TO DATE

Northern Rock 1st half 2008 loss of £585 million. £3 billion of new equity capital

RBS 1st half 2008 loss of £692 million

HBOS announced writes offs of £5.2 billion

9 Comments

  1. R.Rowan
    November 4, 2008

    I hope these figures have been passed to Mr Osborne he seems very quiet of late.

  2. Johnny Norfolk
    November 4, 2008

    Good old Labour. What a real mess this time. Perhaps the people that vote for them may like to stand back and look what they have done.

    History will judge that the British people were conned by Blair and Brown into thinking they could have something for nothing.

    They must only thnk of today and never tomorrow.

  3. Brian Tomkinson
    November 4, 2008

    In addition, what will it cost the taxpayers for the government to borrow all those billions it has put into the banks?

  4. mikestallard
    November 4, 2008

    Thank you for not saying "I told you so!"

  5. John
    November 4, 2008

    I think, that by this time, the idiot Brown has realised just what a mess, he and our country, are in. I would also think that he would rather be in opposition in the next Parliament. I feel that Osborne and Cameron are too lightweight to be able to put things right. The three main parties will, I am sure, be unable to cope and the minor parties are untried. I'm glad I'm 74!!!

  6. David morris
    November 5, 2008

    John, excellent stuff – now how about having a quiet word in your leader's shell-like in the hope he might bring this to public attention sometime soon? The media don't seem keen to share for some strange reason..

  7. Bazman
    November 5, 2008

    Anyone got any criticisms of how the banks got themselves into this position of in effect being bankrupt. It was the governments and regulators fault letting them do what they like for sure, but the banks are the architects of their own downfall Maybe this was part of the bankers grand plan or just knowing they would get paid vast amounts for selling. The bonuses have turned out not to be bonuses but pay. Or renumeration as these talentless smart Alec's, self importantly call it. There are no professionals in finance just successful and unsuccessful arrogantly they would say. You utterly failed. Never mind got rich though and still able to cause more problems.

  8. Stuart Fairney
    November 5, 2008

    I attended a wedding some weeks ago and met a load of ex-pat Zimbabweans who were (I kid you not) laughing at the UK and equating Mr Brown with early Mr Mugabe.

    They suggested

    ~ off-shore your cash before the government confiscate it which given real debt levels, they saw as possible
    ~ maintain a high degree of transportable liquid assets outside banks (they all liked uncut diamonds)
    ~ if at all possible, get another foreign passport
    ~ leave the country

    They also made the point that despite Mr Mugabe's ban on guns for ordinary people (I wonder why?), they had all kept theirs back home.

    Interesting people all and a nice take on how self-reliant, robustly independent people deal with tyranny. Will we become of necessity, as self-reliant? I wonder.

  9. not an economist
    November 5, 2008

    As the govt seems very reluctant to publicise these figures themselves could I please ask what their source is and how reliable that source is?

    Not being awkward – just curious.

    Reply: The published statements of the banks

Comments are closed.