08 Feb 2009First posted on the original Lobby Group blog by contributor Wharfgirl-If this is a Lobby Group, doesn't it need to have campaigns and take actions? Surely there is something we can do about the obscenity of banks paying bonuses with money our kids and grandkids will have to pay in taxes. So what if we were to organise for people to turn up outside branches of RBS, Lloyds and Halifax - but particularly RBS - to queue with signs that read: Bonuses? Not with my Money' One could easily get the press down to cover this if there were enough people. It should be organised for a specific day and then anyone on here ought to circulate the details to every friend they have. It does not matter whether or not you have an account with these banks. If you do, threaten to close it and move elsewhere. Not with my money refers just as much to tax, but the sight of queues outside banks should freak people out sufficiently to have some effect. Remember these taxpayer banks cannot now actually go bust, so it should do no actual harm. Come to think of it, it might be better to concentrate on a few branches, so that there will be enough people in the queue. How about Monday week?
|
comments . . .
|
08 Feb 2009
John Bray | I like the idea - and it would be doing something in which we as a nation excel" queuing! Are the signs even necessary? Is a queue outside a bank not enough to attract attention in itself?
|
08 Feb 2009
OldNick666 | I like the idea of a queues outside a banks. Now where is the phone number for rent a mob?
|
08 Feb 2009
OldNick666 | Bonuses are really a bit of a side show but they can be exploited to gain sympathy for the main issue which is to blow the banks apart and then put the pieces in three piles called Retail Banking, Insurance Broker and Betting Shop.
Hmmm getting to sound a bit like an anarchist. Now where did I leave that bomb?
|
08 Feb 2009
kooltidings | Queuing could be an idea, here are over 35000 followers of Downing Street on Twitter. and there is an option of block email. Have just signed but not too sure how it works really yet
There is a e-petition on the Downing Street website about salary capping
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Bank-action/
Have any of you see this
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/052cf48e-f08f-11dd-972c-0000779fd2ac.html?dbk&nclick_check=1
19 February also happens to be the day of the annual meeting of the International Accounting Standards Boards
http://www.iasb.org/Home.htm
|
08 Feb 2009
Jericoa | Nice to see you posting here wharfgirl and bringing a bit of passion to proceedings.
I have been focussing more on what we do next and will put something comprehensive forward for comment as a road map shortly.
In the meantime i like the sentiment but can not do anything practically at the moment, being very much plugged into a 'normal' busy family life, for the time being anyway.
We should avoid becomming like those guys in Monty Pythons life of Brian though.
John Cleese ''right we are all agreed to take action then''
All ''Agreed''
John cleeese 'ok, with immediate effect lets convene a new committee to discuss how we can free the prisoners'
It is in our hands.
|
08 Feb 2009
CoralBloom | Jericoa,
Agreed!
|
08 Feb 2009
marksmith1981 | Agreed, and I think its a good idea Wharfgirl - i'm in
|
08 Feb 2009
rahere | http://www.kablam.tv/flashmob/
|
11 Feb 2009
asymetric | Another idea struck me last night (couldn't get to sleep at which point my mind starts wandering - also came up with mechanism to assess risk of house price inflation/bust a la Mandelbrot/Taleb theories before I fell asleep - but that's another story).
Since banks require security for loans, I am going to write to my company's bank and tell them I require security for my deposits - possibly as a charge on some of their freehold properties. Might be interesting if we could get a campaign on that i.e. loan security works both ways - doesn't even require assembling outside of a bank!
|
13 Feb 2009
kooltidings | May be we could put together a template letter to use for this purpose
|
16 Feb 2009
OldNick666 | Why not persuade the unemployed to queue outside the banks for their bonus? Only those banks with taxpayer support.
|
|