Finance (No. 3) Bill

That is exactly what the electorate will be doing: calling the bluff of this Government and asking whether they will live up to the promises that they made. Indeed, it is interesting that when I mentioned the Prime Minister's ““day of reckoning””, someone on the Government Benches said that it would be a bank holiday. If I was a banker, that is exactly what I would think this weak banking levy and these weak banking regulations were delivering. The Deputy Prime Minister even joined in on the act, saying on Radio Sheffield that he wanted to"““wring the neck of these wretched people””." I am not sure whether he was referring to the Conservatives or the bankers—or, after Thursday, some of his Cabinet colleagues, when the AV referendum delivers a no vote, which is how I recommend everyone should vote on Thursday. Despite all the overblown rhetoric, we have seen no action to follow it through. As was said earlier, many of our constituents cannot understand why, if we were going to tax the bankers through this levy—and thereby control their reckless behaviour, as my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington said—they seem to have completely ignored it. We need to consider that when thinking about the appearance of the head of Barclays before the Treasury Committee, when he said,"““there was a period of remorse and apology for banks.””" I am sure that many of our constituents are very grateful for that. However, he continued:"““I think that period needs to be over””." It might be over for him, but it is not over for many of our constituents, including those running small businesses who are struggling to get loans from banks. He went on:"““we need our banks willing to take risks…so…we can create jobs””." Well, lending money to those businesses would be a start. Another starting point for doing that might also be Barclay's five top bankers. They have just received bonuses of £110 million, which does not—