So Dick Roche thinks the Minister for Finance owns Anglo. He’s the only shareholder after all as he told the Irish Times. Like the Tanaiste, clever Dick believes that
“It would completely undermine the confidence of customers generally in Anglo Irish Bank if the Minister as shareholder could obtain access to confidential customer information,”
Can they please find something more intelligent for ministers to say when asked about the “Anglo golden circle” Confidence in Anglo is obviously sky high at the moment so it would take a lot to undermine it!
I guess we should all stop worrying about Anglo now that it’s entirely B Lenihan’s problem. I wonder do the ECB ask you to sign a personal guarantee when they loan you a few billion. It’s not our problem anymore. Our Euribor rates will improve when those pesky Europeans realise our brilliant strategy. We didn’t nationalise Anglo, we transferred ownership of all assets and liabilities to our Minister for Finance. It’s known in the industry as “containing the problem”. When he realises it himself he might cancel the pension levy, before skipping off to some South American country without an Irish extradition treaty. He can form a double act with Bertie.
One “created” an economic miracle while the other took on the debt of a (relatively) small South American country “in the national interest”.