Trading in Northern Rock shares should be suspended as City "sharks" are taking enormous positions at the expense of the small shareholder, Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable says.
Cable’s warning follows news the beleaguered bank has chosen a consortium led by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group as its preferred bidder. Cable says it is “by no means certain” the Virgin bid will be given the green light and says the Government should look at temporarily nationalising the bank. “Trading in Northern Rock shares should be suspended, as enormous positions are being taken on by the spivs and sharks in the City at the expense of the small shareholder,” he says. “The Virgin Group is only offering to pay back £11bn of taxpayers’ money immediately and the other £13bn of our ...
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