Just when you think that the RBS saga can't get any worse it does. Forget Stephen Hester's disgusting money grubbing or David Cameron's defence that it all has nothing to do with him, now we find out that RBS has spent £2.5 million of taxpayers money on bribes to US Congressman and Senators. Of course the Americans sanitise such practices by using euphemisms like "lobbying," but if it walks like a duck etc. So what did RBS spend the money on? Apparently they have tried to influence two new pieces of American legislation - the Consumer Overdraft Fair Practices Act and the US Credit Card Act - both of which aim to limit the availability of credit cards to teenagers, how much they can borrow and the rate of interest they are charged. This is something that many parents in Britain would welcome as they are forced to stand aside as the banks offer their kids "Gold" credit cards with interest rates that are eyewatering. They have also sought to influence legislation that would limit "swipe" card fees - you know, the extra money that banks charge us for using the cards they insist we use. But at least we know why Stephen Hester is worth the outrageous amounts of money he's paid in wages and bonuses. He's a typical banker, crooked, greedy and totally without conscience. Not to put too fine a point on it, he's a crook. But, as I'm sure David Cameron would say, at least he's our crook.
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