The Socialist

The Socialist 17 January 2008

Fight for a living wage

Fight for a living wage

Burslem: Support victimised postal workers

Editorial: Fight three year low pay tie-ins


Stop nuclear power plans NOW!

Is the burning of fossil fuels causing climate change?


Hain's sorry saga of sleaze

Blair's rewards from big business


Fire cuts threat to our public safety

Cardiff schools campaign grows


Nationalise Northern Rock - permanently

Growing crisis in housing


Save our post offices

Salford says: "Don't close our women's centre"

'Them and Us': news shorts


Feature: Building the shop stewards' movement


Ideas for campaigning and fundraising


Sri Lanka: New year starts with atrocities

Biggest miners' underground occupation in Polish history


Review: More Time for Politics, Diaries 2001-2007, by Tony Benn


Reinstate Karen Reissman - defend mental health services!

Derby nurses fight management attacks

Liverpool: City of Cuts

Vote Jim Cessford

 
 
Socialist Party logo Socialist Party on the climate change demo December 2007, pic Paul Mattsson Socialist Party News
Socialist Party Policy statements
Socialist Party contemporary Marxist analysis

Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/516/3652

Seach this siteGoogle search the site

Printable versionPrintable version

email to friendemail to friend

Facebook

Twitter

Home   |   The Socialist 17 January 2008   |   Join the Socialist Party

Subscribe   |   Donate   |   Bookshop

Nationalise Northern Rock - permanently

THE LABOUR government is still desperate to find a private-sector buyer for Northern Rock, despite having shored up the bank to the tune of £50 billion (over half the NHS budget).

The bank went belly-up last September after Northern Rock's board speculated in financial markets and was caught out by the US sub-prime mortgage crisis.

The media has stories about the 180,000 small shareholders (who hold 20% of the stock) worrying that their investments will become valueless if Northern Rock is nationalised. But the real scandal is the role played by hedge fund shareholders.

When Northern Rock's shares nosedived, prompting a government bailout, two hedge funds - SRM Global and RAB Capital - snapped them up (they now own 18%) intending to make a big profit when the bank was sold on.

But faced with nationalisation - which the government may be forced to resort to - they could have their fingers burned. The hedge funds now want to limit Northern Rock's board's ability to sell or buy assets and issue new shares to stop a quick sell-off.

The bank should be nationalised - not as a temporary measure as demanded by sections of the capitalist class - with no compensation to the fat-cat speculators. Small shareholders should be compensated on the basis of proven need.


In this issue

Fight for a living wage

Burslem: Support victimised postal workers

Editorial: Fight three year low pay tie-ins


Environment and socialism

Stop nuclear power plans NOW!

Is the burning of fossil fuels causing climate change?


Sleaze

Hain's sorry saga of sleaze

Blair's rewards from big business


Anti-Cuts campaigns

Fire cuts threat to our public safety

Cardiff schools campaign grows


Housing Crisis

Nationalise Northern Rock - permanently

Growing crisis in housing


Socialist Party news

Save our post offices

Salford says: "Don't close our women's centre"

'Them and Us': news shorts


Trade unions

Feature: Building the shop stewards' movement


Socialist Party campaigning

Ideas for campaigning and fundraising


International socialist news and analysis

Sri Lanka: New year starts with atrocities

Biggest miners' underground occupation in Polish history


Socialist Party review

Review: More Time for Politics, Diaries 2001-2007, by Tony Benn


Socialist Party workplace news

Reinstate Karen Reissman - defend mental health services!

Derby nurses fight management attacks

Liverpool: City of Cuts

Vote Jim Cessford


 

Home   |   The Socialist 17 January 2008   |   Join the Socialist Party

Subscribe   |   Donate   |   Bookshop

Related links:

Northern Rock:

triangleThem & Us

triangleTories and Labour fail to give 'Any Answers'

triangleNorthern Rock and Branson's present

triangleNorthern Rock throws workers on the dole

triangleWhere's the bailout for us?

triangleFast News

US:

triangleClegg's text message plans make us LOL!

triangleUS embassy protest remembers Trayvon Martin

triangleMillion Hoodies March against racist murders in the US

triangleThe 'Kony 2012' phenomena

Global:

triangleUN reports rise in global youth unemployment

triangleDithering in Durban

triangleNo progress at climate conference

Sub-prime:

triangleOil price shock - the chaos of capitalism

triangleNationalise Bradford & Bingley

triangleGrowing crisis in housing