Iain Martin

This was recommended to me by my solicitor as Covid-19 lockdown reading, then purchased from my local independent bookstore as an exercise in solidarity with local businesses devastated by the pandemic. Martin opens a window on the murkiness of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), showing managers apparently driven by greed, vanity and dreams of empire, with a suspicion of incompetence and possibly even a dash of unabashed evil. Add delusional politicians, conniving auditors and regulators, then watch mayhem ensue with the damage falling on the general public. It would be as unwise to suppose the banking culture has improved since 2008, or to think that bankers at a local level exhibit a probity and professionalism their bosses lack. I have had the singular distinction of witnessing a bank manager in Glasgow unable to add together ten identical sums; RBS staff it seems even lack basic numeracy.… (mais)