The best excuse coming out of last year's MPs expenses scandal came from the lips of Anthony Steen.
“I’ve done nothing criminal,” he said. “Do you know what it’s about? Jealousy. I’ve got a very, very large house. Some people say it looks like Balmoral.” The public expected a swift apology from Steen, and they got one, but an apology to taxpayers may be too much to expect from the FSA after it made its own extraordinary excuse for costing them some £20bn (and counting) this week. The regulator has now published its much-awaited report into the near-collapse of Royal Bank of Scotland in 2008. It largely pinned the bank’s struggles on “underlying deficiencies in RBS management, govern...
To continue reading this article...
Join Professional Adviser for free
- Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
- Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
- Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
- Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
- Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
- Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes