Questions raised over Corporate Credit Cards at Tory Libdem Scottish Borders Council as ex-Chief Executive David Hume ran up £9K bill on taxpayers

In Credit thanks to taxpayers : SBC former Chief Executive David Hume. QUESTIONS have been raised over the number & volume of CORPORATE CREDIT CARDS issued by the Tory-LibDem controlled Scottish Borders Council to its staff & others after it was revealed the now former SBC Chief Executive, David Hume, ran up a NINE THOUSAND POUND BILL on a PAID-FOR-BY-TAXPAYERS credit card issued to him by the same scandal tarnished Scottish Borders Council which lost up to TEN MILLION POUNDS in dodgy investments in now bankrupt Icelandic Banks. SBC is now seeking to cover its multi million pound Icelandic losses through the Scottish Government’s dodgy “consent to borrow scheme”, branded a ‘Council Tax freeze buy off’ by local Government experts.

The information on Mr Hume’s credit card expenses was released in response to a Freedom of Information request, which revealed among many other things, the now former Chief Executive Mr Hume liked to stay at the Royal Overseas League and the London Bridge Hotel all at taxpayers expense on Scottish Borders Council’s corporate credit card.

Mr Hume also charged for attending an Enterprising Britain awards at 11 Downing Street Award Ceremony on 16-17 October 2008. Hume seems to have been there simply because the Heart of Hawick project (a restoration of the area where the Tower Hotel used to be) was on a short list of 13 projects across the UK. The award was won by the Scarborough Renaissance Partnership. Mr Hume ran up a bill of £620 including a return flight to London costing £301 and a night’s accommodation at the swanky London Bridge Hotel (£194) and a lunch for two (£76).

From 2004 onwards Scottish Borders Council co-ordinated a “Shop Local” campaign, encouraging people to spend their money in Borders retail outlets. On 9th November 2009 Mr Hume purchased a brooch (broatch) to give to a host family during a study tour to Japan. According to the record Hume bought the brooch for £51.31 from Ola Gorie Jewellery, a designer jewellery business based in ORKNEY, which is very far removed from the Scottish Borders, who Mr Hume was allegedly representing and whose local council tax payers pay his credit card bill.

The now former Chief Executive Mr Hume also ran up charges which included magazine subscriptions to the Harvard Business Review, reference books, crockery, £7.74 for parking fees at a Commonwealth Games planning event, and even £4 for a ticket on the London Underground.

The SNP’s Christine Grahame, MSP for the area and Chair of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee questioned why Mr Hume was able to use a corporate credit card while many constituents in the Scottish Borders are facing financial oblivion.

Ms Grahame said : “While many of my constituents are struggling to make ends meet Mr Hume was using a corporate credit card to enjoy luxuries and pay for expensive goods. It also beggars belief that in his time as Chief Executive of the council he backed numerous campaigns to shop local but decided to buy a brooch from Orkney as a gift for a visiting dignitary.?”

She added : “I would like to know if Mr Hume had carte blanche when using his credit card or was this expenditure monitored. I also feel that taxpayers need to know whether this extravagance was sanctioned by senior councillors who were, at the same time, grappling with the need to cut spending and ensure value for money.?”

While taxpayers may well have cause to be shocked at the scale of huge credit card bills racked up by Scottish Borders Council staff during these times of public service cuts and extortionate local Council Tax charges, it can now be revealed today there are several more credit cards issued by Scottish Borders Council to other officials including Departmental Heads : Directors of Education (Glenn Rodger), Social Work (Andrew Lowe), Resources (Tracey Logan) and Environment & Infrastructure (Rob Dickson). Details of the expenditures on these cards have now also been requested.

Scottish Borders Council recently hit the headlines with revelations of huge salaries, expenses & more, here : Reasons your Scottish Borders Council tax is so high : 15 Councillors soak up £1/2 million, Officials & Chief Exec on £100K plus & golden pensions & MONEY TO BURN : Millions lost in Icelandic banks yet 34 Scottish Borders Councillors soak up another million in salaries & expenses claims

Scottish Borders Council announced Mr Hume’s resignation on 1 July 2011, after a “change in his personal circumstances”. The ANNOUNCEMENT stated :

After nine very successful years at Scottish Borders Council and following a change in his personal circumstances, David Hume will be retiring from his post as Chief Executive with effect from Monday 15 August 2011.

Speaking, following his decision, Mr Hume stated:  “In the last nine years we have implemented a programme of change and improvement which has transformed the Council, and improved the quality of life in the Scottish Borders. As Chief Executive of the Council it has been a privilege to lead and direct these changes. However the greatest privilege of all has been to work with council colleagues, colleagues from other agencies, and the people of Border communities who never fail to demonstrate their remarkable characteristics of commitment, integrity and intelligence. I thank them all and reserve special thanks for employees of Scottish Borders Council who, in my opinion, are simply the best.” 

Council Leader David Parker said: “The Council is most grateful to David for his loyal and dedicated service over the last nine years.  He has been instrumental in the Council’s success, and has demonstrated enormous commitment to the Council and the Scottish Borders. He departs with the best wishes of all elected Members and staff. He leaves a Council that is in strong heart, and which has been transformed under his leadership.”

No mention was made in the announcement of Mr Hume’s departure of how much the Chief Executive had cost local taxpayers, nor were any benefits to the Scottish Borders of Mr Hume’s Japanese study tour mentioned.

A local political reform campaigner today condemned the huge amounts of money spent by SBC officials on credit cards.

He said : “I thought David Cameron said we were all in this recession together ? However this does not appear to be the case at Scottish Borders Council.”

He continued : “This binge on credit cards at Scottish Borders Council is one of the many causes why we in the Scottish Borders are all having to fork out extortionate council tax payments on properties worth nowhere near their claimed values to keep Councillors and their officials in their undeserved luxurious salaries, expenses & pensions schemes while the rest of us rot. It is disgusting. They should be made to repay every penny.”

The full details of Mr Hume’s reasons to be cheerful (having a taxpayer funded credit card you don't need to worry about paying at the end of the month) are revealed here :

FOI Request - Spend on Credit Card in name of David Hume

Date Item purchased Reason Vendor Cost (£) Statement Date 2008/09
21.04.08 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £69 07.05.08
08.05.08 Magazine Subscription Reference E Map Business Communications £195 05.06.08
10.06.08 Return Train Ticket, Edinburgh - Glasgow Meeting Transport Minister National Express £9.80 05.06.08
11.06.08 2 Reference Books Reference Van Guard Consulting £36.60 05.06.08
27.06.08 1 Night Hotel Accomadation Conference Attendance Patio Hotel, Aberdeen £131.91 05.06.08
30.06.08 Lunch for 3 people Meeting Doric Tavern, Edinburgh £48.20 05.06.08
03.06.08 Lunch for 2 people Meeting Marmions, Melrose £23.04 05.06.08
04.08.08 Lunch for 3 people Meeting Burts, melrose £73.74 06.08.08
04.09.08 Annual Members Fee Corporate Credit Card Bank of Scotland £20.00 04.09.08
06.10.08 Ret. Flight Edin-Lon Award Ceremony, Downing Street BMI £301.60 06.11.08
16.10.08 Lunch for 2 ppl Award Ceremony, Downing Street London Bridge hotel £76.83 06.11.08
16.10.08 Accom. Hotel Award Ceremony, Downing Street London Bridge hotel £194.89 06.11.08
17.10.08 Parking Airport Award Ceremony, Downing Street NCP ltd £10.89 06.11.08
16.10.08 Shuttle Fair London Award Ceremony, Downing Street Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 06.11.08
17.10.08 Underground Ticket Award Ceremony, Downing Street TFL MFM £4.00 06.11.08
23.10.08 Ticket for Award Ceremony Scottish Border Awards Dinner Big Partnership Aberdeen £45.00 06.11.08
26.10.08 Parking Fees Commonwealth Games Planning Event NCP ltd £7.74 06.11.08
21.10.08 Hotel Accommodation COSLA Conference Watermill Hotel, Paisley £51.06 06.11.08
26.10.08 Hotel Accommodation commonwealth games planning event SAS Radison Glas £114.89 06.11.08
27.11.08 Seminar Attendance Fee Election Training Seminar Solice Enterprises Ltd £390.00 04.12.08
02.03.09 Magazine Subscription Reference Subs-Service.co.uk £93.00 05.03.09
2009/10
16.03.09 Crockery Office Use China Presentation £126.47 06.04.09
13.05.09 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £85.00 07.05.09
11.06.09 Dinner for 6 people Visiting International Dignatory Town House, Melrose £115.98 06.07.09
17.06.09 Membership Fee Reduced Accommodation Cost Royal Overseas League £143.00 06.07.09
17.06.09 Return Flight, Edinburgh - London SFI Board Meeting BMI £173.60 06.07.09
22.06.09 Underground Ticket, London SFI Board Meeting TFL MFM £4.00 06.07.09
23.06.09 1 Night B&B, London SFI Board Meeting Royal Overseas League £113.91 06.07.09
23.06.09 Airport Parking Costs SFI Board Meeting NCP Ltd £12.52 06.07.09
22.06.09 Heathrow Express Ticket SFI Board Meeting Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 06.07.09

23.06.09 Underground Ticket SFI Board Meeting TFL MFM £4.00 06.07.09
18.08.09 Crockery Office Use China Presentation £54.17 06.08.09
07.09.09 Membership Fee Corporate Credit Card membership Bank of Scotland £20.00 06.08.09
11.09.09 Conference Fees Solice Conference, Brighton Solice Ltd £210.00 06.10.09
24.09.09 Return Flight, London - Tokyo Study Tour Japan Airline Net £1,164.52 06.10.09
25.09.09 Flight, Edinburgh - Gatwick Solice Conference, Brighton BMI £51.20 06.10.09
25.09.09 Flight Gatwick - Edinburgh Solice Conference, Brighton Air France £93.26 06.10.09
25.09.09 Return, Flight Edinburgh - London Pre Meet Japanese Study Tour (in London) British Airways £106.60 06.10.09
05.10.09 Return Fair Edinburgh - Glasgow Railway Meeting National Express £31.40 06.10.09
05.10-.09 Railway Parking Fee Railway Meeting Apcoa Parking £6.96 06.10.09
05.10.09 Rail Link  Japanese Study Tour Pre Meeting Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 06.10.09
05.10.09 Evening Meal Japenese Study Tour Pre Meeting Seafood Bar, Edinburgh Airport £8.02 06.10.09
06.10.09 Airport Parking Speaking Engagement Solice Conference NCP ltd £12.52 05.11.09
06.10.09 Hotel Accommodation Japanese Study Tour Pre Meeting Royal Overseas League £108.91 05.11.09
05.10.09 Coffee/tea Meeting Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh £8.83 05.11.09
14.10.09 Conference Fees Solice Conference, Brighton Solice UK £398.00 05.11.09
20.10.09 Trian Ticket, Gatwick - Brighton Solice Conference, Brighton Gatwick Express £24.90 05.11.09
20.10.09 Lunch Solice Conference, Brighton Café Rouge £14.13 05.11.09
22.10.09 Train Ticket, Brighton - London Solice Conf Brighton Southern Rail Brighton £30.40 05.11.09
22.10.09 Airport Parking Solice Conference, Brighton NCP Ltd £20.61 05.11.09
22.10.09 Underground Ticket Solice Conference, Brighton TFL MFM £6.30 05.11.09
22.10.09 2 Nights Accommodation Solice Conference, Brighton Hilton Hotel, Brighton £186.91 05.11.09
23.10.09 Overnite Accommodation Cosla Seminar Dacota Hotel, Glasgow £89.13 05.11.09
03.11.09 Crockery Office Use China Presentation £27.04 05.11.09
09.11.09 Broatch Gift to Host Family in Japan Ola Gorie Jewellery £51.31 04.12.09
09.11.09 Flight, London - Edinburgh Study Tour Japan BMI £93.00 04.12.09
09.11.09 Flight, Edinburgh - London Study Tour Japan BMI £54.30 04.12.09
09.11.09 Overnight Accommodation, London (pre flight) Study Tour Japan Destina Group £85.39 04.12.09
18.11.09 Evening Meals, 2 days Study Tour Japan Prince Hotels, Tokyo £46.63 04.12.09
26.11.09 Evening Meals plus Coffee, 2 days Study Tour Japan Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo £63.47 04.12.09
16.12.09 Conference Fees Solice Conference Solice.org £488.75 07.01.10
28.01.10 Evening Meeting and Dinner for 3 people Visiting Chief Executive Burts Hotel, Melrose £265.06 07.01.10
02.02.10 Mobile Phone Case Protect Phone Amazon £9.95 05.02.10
10.02.10 Conference Fees Conference Attendance J Press Scott .adv £149.00 05.03.10
2010/11
08.03.10 Flight, London - Edinburgh SFI Editorial Board Meeting BMI Onine £86.30 08.04.10
08.03.10 Flight, Edinburgh - London SFI Editorial Board Meeting British Airways £112.20 08.04.10

15.03.10 Heathrow Express SFI Editorial Board Meeting Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 08.04.10
16.03.10 Overnight Accommodation SFI Editorial Board Meeting Royal Overseas League £110.64 08.04.10
18.03.10 Parking Fee, Edinburgh Airport SFI Editorial Board Meeting NCP Ltd £6.98 08.04.10
15.03.10 London Underground Ticket SFI Editorial Board Meeting TFL MFM £5.60 08.04.10
17.03 10 Return Rail Fair, Edinburgh - Dundee Strategic Review Group Meeting First Scot Rail £51.10 08.04.10
01.04.10 Lunch for 4 people Meeting with Heriot Watt University Burts, Melrose £87.24 08.04.10
16.05.10 Overnight Accommodation Historic Silver Arrow Shoot Tontine Hotel, Peebles £55.32 07.06.10
19.05.10 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £85.00 07.06.10
27.05.10 Magazine Subscription, 2years Reference Subs-Service.co.uk £182.00 07.06.10
25.06.10 Evening Meal for 4 people COSLA Convention Uplawmuir Hotel, Glasgow £188.98 06.07.10
15.07.10 Reference Books Reference Amazon £12.49 05.08.10
09.08.10 Magazine Subscription Reference E Map Business Communications £140.00 06.09.10
16.08.10 Photographs from Local News Historical Interest J Press Scott .adv £2.58 06.09.10
16.08.10 Extra Copies Local Newspaper Historical Interest J Press Scott .adv £7.80 06.09.10
16.08.10 Extra Copies Local Newspaper Historical Interest J Press Scott .adv £7.80 06.09.10
06.09.10 Purchase of Government Paper Research Paypal Emerald £14.50 06.09.10
06.09.10 Membership Fee Corporate Credit Card Bank of Scotland £15.00 06.09.10
07.10.10 Annual Member Fee Solice Professional Membership Solice £398.00 04.11.10
08.10.10 Dinner for Visit for Overseas Dignatory Hospitality Burts, Melrose £121.74 04.11.10
21.10.10 Dinner for 5 people COSLA Convention Rupee Room, Ayre £105.06 04.11.10
22.10.10 B&B 1 Night Fairfield House, Ayre £75.75 04.11.10
26.10.10 Ticket Free Lecture Professional Lecture Usher Hall Box Office £5.75 04.11.10
Jan & Feb no spend
14.02.11 Day Attendance Conference Fee Solice Conference Solice £150.00 07.03.11
15.02.11 Security Key Store Office Equipment Amazon £19.99 07.03.11
21.02.11 Reference Book Reference Carrick Media £48.00 07.03.11
01.03.11 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £85.00 07.03.11
04.03.11 B&B 1 Night Solice Conference St. Michaels Inn, St. Andrews £54.17 07.03.11
Total £9,019

Dundas & Wilson to make 50 staff redundant as recession bites away at legal business in Scotland

Dundas & Wilson, one of Scotland’s larger law firms, plans to shed 50 jobs as the credit crunch and crumbling business in the legal sector bites.

Since there’s not much incentive for anyone to use legal services in Scotland these days, things can only get worse in the legal sector unless standards of service and more competitive fees for legal work come to be implemented …

The Scotsman reports :

Scotland's biggest law firm to shed jobs, from junior staff to partners

Published Date: 28 February 2009
By Jane Bradley and Christopher Mackie

PARTNERS at Dundas & Wilson are to lose their jobs as part of a swathe of cutbacks at Scotland's biggest law firm.

The practice is to axe up to 50 jobs across its three offices as work dries up amid the economic downturn.

Dundas & Wilson (D&W), which has its head office in Edinburgh and two other bases in Glasgow and London, added that it had already asked some of its 35 graduate trainees due to start in 2009 to defer their positions for 12 months.

The firm's managing partner, Donald Shaw, said the cuts would be spread proportionally throughout its three offices – which have a combined headcount of 669 staff – and would be evenly split between lawyers and back office staff.

It is understood that a "small number" of partners are among those set to lose their jobs.

Edinburgh, where 308 of the D&W staff are based, is likely to see around 23 job losses, while Glasgow and London, which employ 168 and 193 workers respectively, will lose around 14 staff each.

Corporate law has been particularly hard hit in the downturn, Mr Shaw said, because of the lack of mergers and acquisitions activity in a climate of tough bank lending criteria. He added that the firm's real estate division was also badly affected.

He said: "We have not taken this decision lightly but unfortunately we must act to rebalance our capacity with our predicted levels of future business. This is a reflection of market conditions. The economy is not looking like it is improving and we need to accept that.

"There are a small number of partners affected; these cuts are coming across the whole business."

He added: "Almost every area (of the business] has been hit, except restructuring services and litigation."

However, Mr Shaw said the firm may be better off than many of its competitors, due to its top-end client base of blue-chip companies, many of which are continuing to do deals. It is understood that the entire corporate transaction market is down 60 per cent on last year.

A total of nine trainees due to start in September have agreed to defer their places for a year.

Mr Shaw said: "They need to have training, and if we think workflows are down, it is not a good time for them to learn. Clients are not very happy at this crucial time to have very junior lawyers working on their cases."

In the 12 months to the end of April 2008, D&W reported 23 per cent growth in annual revenues to £74.8 million.

Mr Shaw added: "We had a very strong year last year but in the current climate, it is very difficult. It is more what is going to happen than what is happening now."

He refused to comment on how steep the drop in turnover would be for the year to the end of April 2009.

The company said that a 30-day consultation process was under way involving the staff who would be affected by the cuts.

Last week, international legal firm DLA Piper announced it was to shed up to 20 jobs in its Glasgow and Edinburgh offices as part of a UK-wide redundancy programme.

That news came just days after Morton Fraser said it would make "single figure" job cuts in its private client business. Both cited current market conditions as the reason for the losses.

Earlier this month, the London "magic circle" firm Allen & Overy cut 47 partners as it announced a total of 247 redundancies as part of a £44 million restructuring programme.

Ex Law Society Chief Exec Douglas Mill defends Sir Fred Goodwin, blames banking failures on lack of regulation

Goodness gracious me .. the former Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, Douglas Mill, himself known for ruining Scotland’s once proud legal profession, who now find themselves regarded lower than pedophiles & rapists, comes out of the retired woodwork to defend his University friend Sir Fred Goodwin, who didn’t do much better for the Royal Bank of Scotland in the end …

Peter Cherbi’s “Diary of Injustice in Scotland” reports :

Royal Bank failure blamed on lack of regulation by ex Law Society Boss who campaigned against stronger regulation of solicitors

The Royal Bank of Scotland's failure, which has led to the bank effectively being nationalised by the UK Government to save it, and save its customers, was nothing to do with either Sir Fred Goodwin or the Bank's 'takeover too far' of the Dutch Bank ABN Amro, so says Douglas Mill, former Law Society Chief Executive and school friend of Sir Fred Goodwin.

Douglas Mill - it wasn't the Bank or Sir Fred’s fault, it was the lack of governance & control !

Douglas Mill, said in a BBC Scotland interview, which highlighted the alleged failures of Sir Fred Goodwin, whom some newspapers have dubbed "The World's worst banker" :"Well scapegoating is the right expression.".

Douglas Mill would know all about scapegoating, and how to avoid it, as he did for around eleven years as Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, who interfered & intervened in just about any case involving crooked lawyers which had the possibility to bring changes to the way solicitors were regulated by the Law Society.

Douglas Mill, staggeringly went on in the interview to blame the Royal Bank of Scotland's huge losses & failures on the financial markets on poor regulation of the Banking sector !

Douglas Mill went on in usual form : "The real failures here are failures of financial services regulation and that extends beyond the Royal Bank.

The real failures here are failures of lack of governance and lack of control in the whole banking sector not just the Royal Bank again its easy to be wise after the event but scapegoating Fred isn't going to address the problems here."

An amazing outburst indeed, from Mr Mill, who tirelessly campaigned against any strengthening of regulation against the legal sector in Scotland, and whose aims to prevent consumers being protected by increased safeguards & independent regulation of Scottish legal services are still being carried out today by the present Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, who himself said on video in the past, he would also protect lawyers from anything or anyone …

You can read an earlier article on how Mr MacAskill carries on Douglas Mill's 'traditions' of protecting the worst elements of Scotland's legal profession here : Justice Secretary rejects independent regulation of lawyers and public right of choice in legal services market

Indeed, it was, as you will all recall, Douglas Mill who infamously once threatened the Scottish Parliament and the previous Scottish Government with legal action if legislation was passed in the Scottish Parliament to protect consumers and strengthen regulation against Scottish solicitors.

Douglas Mill threatens to sue Parliament & Govt : ‘Holyrood in Solicitors’ sights by Ian Fraser

I wrote about Douglas Mill’s court challenge threat to Parliament here : Law Society of Scotland threatens Court challenge against Scottish Executive over LPLA legal reform Bill

We must also not forget this is the same Douglas Mill who famously scrapped with John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, in front of Holyrood's Justice 2 Committee, where Mr Swinney, then in opposition, exposed the secret memos of Mill himself which eventually led to the end of Mill's career at the Law Society after the video coverage of the event was posted to You Tube.

You can read more about the Holyrood confrontation between Douglas Mill & John Swinney here : Law Society boss Mill lied to Swinney, Parliament as secret memos reveal policy of intervention & obstruction on claims, complaints.

In the memos, it was revealed by John Swinney that Douglas Mill had been, and was still engaged in a bitter & protracted campaign against some of Mr Swinney's constituents to prevent them from obtaining access to legal services and financial settlements in long running claims against several of Scotland leading legal firms, which Mr Mill, and the Law Society's insurers Marsh UK, intended to delay and destroy at any cost.

It is worth noting that every single claim and complaint against 'crooked lawyers' which the now discredited ex-Law Society Chief Douglas Mill personally intervened in, ultimately failed to be resolved, and the particular case which Mr Swinney raised before the Justice 2 Committee along with Mill's own memos, also remains unresolved and without settlement.

Career ending video : Douglas Mill contradicts his own secret memos released by John Swinney during Justice Committee investigation

You may all be wondering why someone such as Douglas Mill may blame a lack of regulation of the banking sector as the cause of its catastrophic failure ?

Well, wonder no longer, as the banking sector, such as it used to be, went hand in hand with the legal sector, gaining billions of pounds of business & finance in Scotland from solicitors who themselves used clients funds and a myriad of other less than open financial deals with the banks, using clients money to gain personal finance deals and deals for their legal firms on spectacularly low interest rates which ordinary consumers had to prop up through exhorbitant costs of poor legal services and thousands of cases of lost clients funds each year which the Law Society under Douglas Mill did nothing about.

Interestingly, the same failures of regulation which Douglas Mill claims let down his friend, Sir Fred Goodwin, were the same kinds of regulation Mill actually fought against being implemented on the Law Society of Scotland, such as in the case where Douglas Mill claimed in an interview with Business Journalist Ian Fraser, that the Financial Services Authority would not allow any independent oversight of such things as the infamously corrupt Indemnity Insurance arrangements for Scottish solicitors known as the "Master Policy" which has led to some of the worst cases of corruption involving insurance in Scotland for decades.

It turned out the FSA were quite happy there would be independent regulation of the Master Policy, and I wrote some more about that issue here : Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland branded a liar after FSA denies claims of intervention to block complaints body.

You can read more about the Master Policy and how Douglas Mill as Chief Executive of the Law Society and his staff at ‘Client Relations’ implemented his 'policy for protection' of solicitors against claims & complaints here : The Corrupt Link Revealed - How the Law Society of Scotland manages client complaints & settlements.

More can be read about the Master Policy HERE

Perhaps what we learn from this story is that the banking world and legal world do tend to go hand in hand, when it comes to business, and scandals …. so both worlds need a fairly strong dose of independent regulation with effective policing of their activities, rather than the hands off approach which Mill and his kind have preferred over the years.

Mr MacAskill – adjust your policies accordingly, or step aside for someone who can protect the public, rather than simply protect the professions …