Bob Diamond bags a diamond tipped bonus from Barclays.

The banking business is now a computerised casino for making money out of bytes. Touch the button and zeros become prime numbers with alacrity. Bob Diamond is the chief of Barclays Bank. He gets a salary of £250,000 for his day job. For his croupier activities he gets a whopping £6,500,000!

Now I'm firmly behind David Cameron's notion that the entrepreneurial community is going to get Britain out of the mire. But what did Bob Diamond do entrepreneurially last year to get his salary paid 26 times over in ONE YEAR?

Of bankers and soldiers

British bankers are in discussions about the possibility of reducing New Year bonuses from £7bn to £4bn. The expectation is that the £7bn figure will be paid, but one banker said, "Maybe we can cut that to £4bn. But although that would be a huge reduction, £4bn is still a big number - and we'll still face attacks." I still don't think they get it. It isn't necessarily about the money. It's about the greedy attitude in the face of a grave financial crisis hitting the country. Whilst many face the New Year with unemployment on the horizon, these cheesy characters are arguing the toss about bonuses.

"One of the great paradoxes about all of this is that ministers would love us to agree to cut bonuses, but they're powerless to stop us being prosecuted under competition law," a banker has said. If that was reported correctly, then it sounds like they are hiding behind a perceived prosecution. Did it ever occur to this banker that it might not be in the public interest to mount a prosecution?

The BBC reports that British banks are said to be irked that Wall Street is resistant to the idea of a mutual agreement on restricting bonuses. "There's no chance that the big US investment banks will follow our example, which means that business and good people could leave London for New York or elsewhere, if we're seen to be paying less than the market rate," another banker said. Good people? If we are all in this together, what is so good about just going after the market rate. Are the so-called good bankers only motivated by money?

Yesterday was Remembrance Sunday. Plenty of soldiers died fighting for freedom and a better world. Soldiers are still dying today and if these current conflicts don't end soon will continue to die. Those that died laid down their lives for their country.

It seems that good bankers are reluctant to lay down even part of their bonuses for their country. Doesn't that say an awful lot about the culture that has infected the once noble profession of banking?

Spivs and gamblers to be rounded up?

Vince Cable has refused to apologise for attacking excessive bank bonuses paid to "spivs and gamblers". CBI director general Richard Lambert said Mr Cable was right to call for shareholders to act in the wider public interest, but he added, "It's odd that he thinks it sensible to use such emotional language. The case for corporate takeovers is that they allow control of poorly run businesses to pass into more efficient hands. Mr Cable has harsh things to say about the capitalist system. It will be interesting to hear his ideas for an alternative."

The thing is Vince Cable isn't seeking an alternative. He just wants the present set-up cleaned up with spanking new brooms. Mr.Lambert needs to get a grip. The present corporate rodeo cannot continue as it is. Firstly, let him come clean about what these bonuses are actually for. Secondly, let him reveal the remuneration committees and their workings. And third, let's have some concrete ideas for plc shareholder democracy. Currently it is all revolving doors and everybody taking in each other's washing.

If it were all about efficient hands I'd be the first to give Mr.Lambert a flag to wave. But the BP fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico shows that corporate efficiency and corporate expediency are fighting it out centre stage at that rodeo!

Highway Robbery in the Square Mile!!

Stephen Hester appears to be a victim in this banking bonanza of bonus baggers. He is powerless to suppress the rampant greed of bank workers who are basically gamblers. He says if he doesn't shell out billions to these legalised punters, then they will go elsewhere. Is this man in the real world or living in a parrellel universe? If it wasn't so desperately wrong I'd think he'd got himself a part in a Carry On film.

The British public were told that the banks could not be allowed to fold. So shedloads of cash were poured into the likes of RBS. Hester has the brass neck to preside over a whopping loss of £3.6bn and still whine on about these blackmailing bonus buggers. It is outrageous.

Is the British public going to stand for this highway robbery? Hester told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "We've had a small experiment in this respect... some of our best-performing people have been leaving in their thousands. The people who left us last year, I believe, would have increased our profits by up to £1bn beyond the ones that we've got." Really?

Where have these guys gone? Which bank is utilising their skills? Some offshore operation? A Swiss bank? Thousands have left have they? 40,000, maybe? Or 3/4,000? It's all so vague. No concrete figures are ever given. Just the parrot call telling us that whopping bonuses are an absolute must in 21st century banking. And can we be sure that any of the money used in this casino is real in any sense? I get the sense it's just another version of the wonderful sub-prime money laundering excercise that got us into this mess in the first place.

A man in Scotland made 21% on his investments last year and emailed the BBC to suggest anyone could do it, simply because the markets had risen strongly. Simon Hester was pushed three times on this (not exactly firmly) and gave a limp-wristed response. The truth is nearer the fact that RBS is being held to ransom by those who have found a great way to exploit banks to fuel their insatiable greed.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Bugger the bankers!

In a time of deep recession, brought about in part by the headlong scramble by some bankers to make money out of loans that were past their subprime value, it would be nice to think that a kind of patriotic move might not go amiss. The bonus greed currently sweeping the City of London is very unsavoury to say the least. Angela Knight, she of the British Bankers' Association, whines on amount bankers leaving the country if they don't get more money. Even Croesus would have thought better! Well, if they are so hellbent on going, let them go. As George V might have said on his deathbed if confronted by these blackmailing types "Bugger the bankers!". Quite so.

Top AIG bosses 'to repay bonuses'

Nine of the 10 executives who received top bonuses from US insurance giant AIG have agreed to return them, New York's attorney general says. Well done. To the nine and the attorney, Andrew Cuomo. He's about to get $80 million back into the AIG coffers.

But what about the tenth? Where is he? Keeping his head down, in a huge treasure chest no doubt. Mr.Cuomo says, "A number of them have risen to the occasion and I applaud them." But after Congress went through hoops, the president went on TV to denounce the debacle and every TV pundit had his/her ten cents worth.

At least the tide appears to be turning. Any chance of Sir Fred Goodwin get twinges of a similar nature?

BA chief Willie Walsh to get £700,000 bonus!

After the chaos of the Terminal 5 opening, the British Airways chief is in line for a £700,000 bonus. You couldn't make it up if you tried. His airline loses bags, doesn't train staff properly and thinks things will all work out on their own. This week, he admitted to MPs that he was ultimately responsible for the farcical scenes shown around the world on TV. He told the Travel Select Committee that he had been aware of problems with the £4.3billion terminal before it opened, and had discussed delaying its first day. Mr Walsh said, "It was a calculated risk and one I decided to take. You can't point the finger at anyone else."

It'll be alright on the night? Is Willie Walsh running British Airways or Denis Norden? Come off it Willie, you fouled up. How can you, hand on your heart, take this cash? It's ON TOP OF YOUR SALARY!!

Surely a bonus is for doing something good, making the company better placed in the market. This is just a bad joke. It's not the free enterprise I support. It's just free greed. We should all say no to it.