A fight? Hardly even a handbagging
THEY were sorry. Profoundly sorry, unreservedly sorry, extremely sorry.
But many who took their ringside seats in the Thatcher Room to witness the grilling of the country’s least popular bankers were not after gentle apologies - they wanted blood (or at least a handbagging worthy of the venue’s name).
But far from a lynching, the mob watched as one by one the former leaders of two once-great banks laid their own heads on the block.
Lord Stevenson, the former chairman of Halifax Bank of Scotland, was the first to thank the Treasury Select Committee for the opportunity to apologise, followed by his counterpart at Royal Bank of Scotland Sir Tom McKillop.
Next in line was Fred "The Shred" Goodwin, then fresh-faced Andy Hornby, his brow furrowed with remorse.
Mention was made of the PR teams hired to help the bankers prepare for the meeting. The committee members evidently felt betrayed. But several attempts to get a rise out the bankers fell flat.
Sir Fred found himself with very few questions to answer – and even tried to jump in at one point, only to be told his opinion was not required. For a man accused of bringing about the destruction of RBS, it must have come as quite a put-down.
The only trace of emotion he betrayed as the questioners turned on him was a flush of purple around his collar-line – even when one committee member said: "I would be tempted to ask what Henry VIII would have done to you."
A ripple of interest washed through the room when Newcastle MP Jim Cousins squared up to Sir Tom: "Have you either asked for or been given any legal advice on the matter of criminal negligence?"
Sir Tom replied, very slowly, that he had not, his anger briefly flashing through an otherwise perfect composure.
But, forget the bankers, it was committee leader John McFall who provided the day’s most surprising performance.
The Scotsman known for savaging his victims seemed to have lost his teeth.
Many in the audience, some of whom had queued since 7am for their seats, eventually shuffled out disappointed.
