Cable hits out at Diamond appointment

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Vince Cable has voiced concerns over the appointment of Bob Diamond as the new Barclays chief executive, fuelling the row over whether big banks should be broken up.

Diamond, currently head of Barclays Capital, replaces John Varley at the end of March but it is understood the business secretary thinks the appointment highlights the dangers of combining "casino" investment banks with traditional banks. Cable has long warned of the dangers of combining investment and retail banks, campaigning in the run up to the general election for the big banks to be broken up. He is currently overseeing an independent commission examining whether high street banks should be separated from their investment arms. News of the appointment has spooked investors, w...

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