Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

So now we have a Bank threatening to throw it's toys out of the pram if it don't get it's way.

Why bother voting in a Government when it's really businesses that run the country.

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

like i said it's blackmail

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

True but that's not the same as being recipients of taxpayers money to save their skins. As I said before, the money's been spent, the mistakes have been made and, like it or not, if the taxpayer is to get his/her money back a sensible balance has to be struck to ensure the banks can be profitable in the UK without exposing us to the sort on nonsense which was allowed to happen right under the noses of the previous administration and the FSA.

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As for the 'blackmail' idea - well that's big business for you and we're not the only country in that position. Major corporations are often beneficiaries of 'sweetners' from governments keen to secure their business and there have been massive movements of businesses to other countries whose commercial environments have been viewed more favourably than our own for one reason or another. We've done our fair share of offering businesses 'grants' to relocate here in the past and E. Europe has been a major beneficiary in more recent years. This will continue to be so unless we can make it more favourable for business to operate here. Like it or not, that's the real world.

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

They could say the same about the government, who are saying "if you want to be based in this country, you must do this".

The banks have the right to say "no, thanks".

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

well yes you can ,i can see a lot more posturing and dummy throwing from both parties before they come to some sort of agreement

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

Well let's hope they do come to some sort of mutually acceptable agreement because right now we probably need them more than they need us.

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

The emergency loan rate if punative, normal loans aren't as they are guaranteed by the government

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...xpayer-subsidy

---------- Post added at 06:43 ---------- Previous post was at 06:41 ----------

Do you think the current administration would do anything different. In fact did the previous to last do anything different?

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

its worthless sabre rattling - ignore them and they'll fall into line .

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

With hindsight of course yes, without it probably not a lot, although their spending would never have mushroomed out of control in the same way as New Labour's so the pressure to turn a blind eye to what the banks were up to would've been siginifcantly less.

IMHO the main problem with the last lot wrt the banks is a) they created an ineffectual system of oversight, the FSA and b) the money the banks were generating was essential to their lavish spending plans hence they were unlikely to want to see that tap turned off prematurely and have to suffer the political consequences.

The problems we face are not the fault of this government or the one before last, they're the result of 13 years of myopic Viv Nicholson 'government' in which the main aim was to buy popularity and thereby power. That's just my opinion though.... ;)

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

It would be very short sighted to think that any company (banking or otherwise) are tied to this country because it would be a logistical "headache" to ship out.

If the numbers stack up, they will move and that is the bottom line.

It's accountants that run all companies nowadays and they only see numbers - nothing else.

---------- Post added at 12:26 ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 ----------

Blind faith, I really hope the government don't take that line.

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

Did HSBC take loans of this nature?

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

Don't forget the shareholders - if there's enough pressure from major sharholders to relocate then it'll happen.

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

I guess Cameron&Co better get their wallets out and get 'LOBBYING HSBC' to stay in the Country.

Oh wait.......they ain't got no money have they.

Guess it'll be down to brown nosing then, they will be good at that. :dozey:

Seriously we have a policy of not giving in to Terrorist's demands so I don't see that this is any different.

A Company that has grown so big it can hold a Country to ransome should be broken up.

In the short term the loss of HSBC might be a shock. In the long term I think we will be better off without them if they don't want to play with OUR ball.

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

HMG can't just 'break up' a business it doesn't own where there are no monopoly considerations. If it tried to can you imagine the likely implications for other major businesses, especially those which are largely foreign owned and therefore answerable to foreign shareholders? With all due respect I don't think UK PLC is sufficiently robust or productive to run the risk of a large scale exodus of business, especially when there are other countries not a million miles away who'd be more than willing to embrace them and their taxes whilst allowing them to carry on as usual.

Whether we'd be better off with or without the likes of HSBC is one argument but a more important one is what sort of message would HMG dictating to big business in such a manner send out to foreign investors in the UK? Like it or not, it's them we rely on not only for creating actual business but for buying our government's bonds and funding our debt so we're really in no position to dictate to them.

We can condemn the banks until the cows come home but if you check what your pension fund's invested in you'll almost certainly find banks like HSBC so their profitability, share value and dividend payments impact directly on your pension pot.

Re: HSBC Move To Hong Kong 'Likely'
 

so the tax cuts are working then?

I think they wont move its more they trying to lean on osbourne for some policy changes.

---------- Post added at 15:46 ---------- Previous post was at 15:43 ----------

This leaves a very concerning question tho. Why have democracy when we have corporations that are too big to ignore their demands.