Don’t bring down the banking inquiry

Party political squabbling is threatening the establishment of a major parliamentary inquiry – but this is too good an opportunity for MPs and peers to waste.

The Week in Review: Chloe Smith, Bob Diamond and the Infinite Crisis

Chloe Smith on Newsnight, panic at the Eurozone, Barclays Bob Diamond in the firing line, U-turns on fuel duty: It was another week of infinite crisis for the government.

Bob Diamond letter to Treasury committee in full

Read Bob Diamond’s letter to Andrew Tyrie, chair of the Treasury committee, as he tries to survive the fall out of the Barclays Libor scandal, in full.

Miliband breaks ranks with call for Barclays resignations

Ed Miliband has become the first British politician to call for resignations at Barclays over the Libor scandal.

Osborne statement on Bob Diamond and Barclays in full

Read George Osborne’s statement to parliament on Barclays and Bob Diamond in full on politics.co.uk

Boris under pressure to scrap Barclays bike sponsorship

Boris Johnson came under pressure to scrap Barclays’ prominent sponsorship of London’s ‘Boris bikes’ today, amid a spectacular row over its business practices and demands for Bob Diamond to step down for the bank’s manipulation of the interbank lending rate Libor.

Ed Miliband Unite speech in full

Read Ed Miliband’s speech to Unite – on Barclay’s Bob Diamond, the banking sector, austerity, spending cuts and trade unions – in full on politics.co.uk.

Moody’s downgrades credit ratings of major UK banks

Fifteen major banks in the UK have had their credit ratings downgraded by the credit rating agency Moody’s.

State-owned RBS slashes jobs

Taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is cutting 3,500 jobs after chancellor George Osborne’s recommendation that it shrink its investment bank.

Bankers attempt last-gasp Osborne lobby over reform

George Osborne is meeting with Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond today as bankers launch a last gasp bid to delay banking reforms.