Banks must put North West businesses and families before bonuses says local Euro-MP

NORTH West Euro MP Arlene McCarthy has called for banks to boost lending to businesses and families in the region after she won backing for new EU rules to crack down on bankers' bonuses.

Arlene McCarthy, the Euro MP who drafted and negotiated the final bank bonus law, said:- "Local companies are struggling to get the credit they need to maintain and grow their business, yet last year British banks paid an extra 10 billion pounds to themselves in bonuses - money that could have supported billions in lending to the real economy here in the North West. This vote will bring an end to the short-term, high-risk culture that was the cause of the financial crisis. Banks must prioritise support for our economic recovery, not their own pay and perks."

MEPs in Strasbourg on Wednesday, 7 July 2010, backed Arlene's proposals to change the way bankers' bonuses are paid. They include provisions to limit the amount of cash that can be paid up front, so that if investments go bad money can be clawed back.

The new law will be implemented in time for the upcoming bonus season in January 2011.

Arlene added:- “At a time when the government is making substantial cuts, scaling back public services and support to families and businesses, my constituents expect banks to prioritise stability and lending over excessive bonuses. The banks have had two years since the 2008 financial crisis to do this and have failed to act, so now we have done the job for them.”

The rules will also regulate the way exceptional pension payments are used to reward bankers. Arlene said:- "We have seen bank chiefs walk away from the ruins of their firm with a 16 million pound bonus pot, while taxpayers pick up the bill. These new rules will ensure this can never happen again."

Do you agree with this? Email us now to:- news24@southportreporter.com.

THREE ARRESTED AND GUN RECOVERED IN BOOTLE

THREE men have been arrested and a handgun recovered after police stopped a taxi in Bootle last night.  Officers in a patrol car stopped the black-coloured private hire cab on Hawthorne Road, close to the junction with Province Road, shortly after 8pm.  As patrols approached the taxi three men jumped out of the car and fled down Province Road. Officers gave chase and detained two of the men within seconds in a nearby street. A search of the area led to a third man being detained and arrested and the recovery of a loaded handgun in the garden of a house.  All three have been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm and are currently in police custody awaiting questioning by detectives. They are:- a 21 year old and a 20 year old from Bootle and a 17 year old from Litherland.  The taxi driver was not arrested and the occupants of the address where the handgun was found are not suspected of having committed any offence.  Officers from the Force's anti-gun and gang crime unit Matrix, the police helicopter, specialist firearms dogs and crime scene investigators were involved in the incident and neighbourhood patrols have been stepped up in the area today. The recovered firearm will be forensically tested.  Detective Superintendent Richie Davies from Matrix, said:- "This was excellent work by both the officers who saw three suspicious-looking men travelling somewhere in a taxi and other members of the Force who attended the scene later. We have three men in custody and have recovered a loaded gun that we believe was discarded by one of them during the pursuit. It is too early to say what their intentions were but we are delighted that we have taken yet another firearm off the streets of Merseyside. It shows that the police will not tolerate guns in our communities."

Timpson in Merseyside help to raise £27,000 for ChildLine nationwide

CHILDLINE would like to thank shoppers at Timpson Ltd in Liverpool, St Helens, Southport & Ellesmere Port for helping to raise almost £27,000 nationwide for the children’s helpline, a service provided by the NSPCC.

The high street shoe repairer and key cutter held a fortnight of fundraising for ChildLine, which saw stores across the UK, including in Liverpool, St Helens, Southport & Ellesmere Port, donate £1 to ChildLine for every £10 spent.

Staff and customers across Timpson’s 650 UK stores all took part and their collective effort raised £26,685.44 to help ChildLine counsel more children over the phone on:- 0800 1111 and online at:- childline.org.uk.

Esther Rantzen, ChildLine founder and President said:- “The money raised in just two weeks by Timpson’s staff and customers will save precious young lives and protect children from pain and distress. It could pay for a night shift worker for a period of 30 weeks, to support the children who phone ChildLine, often in desperate situations, in the middle of the night.  Night-time is when ChildLine receives some of our most serious heart-wrenching calls, from children who are lying awake dreading the day ahead, or have actually taken an overdose or run away from an abusive home, and are phoning ChildLine as a last resort. These children can’t say thank you in person for your wonderful generosity, so on their behalf, thank you.”

Timpson’s Chairman, John Timpson said:- “It’s fantastic that in just two weeks our staff and customers have helped to raise enough money to enable ChildLine to support so many more children, often in the most desperate situations who may have no one else to turn to. I’m a firm believer that the simplest ideas are often the most effective and this goes to show that it’s the small gestures that can make a big difference.”

Timpson Ltd continue to run their ‘small jobs – big difference’ initiative which provides free services, such as sticking a sole or punching a belt hole, in return for a £1 donation to ChildLine, a service provided by the NSPCC. Since the initiative launched in 2000, Timpson’s stores across the UK have raised £2million for ChildLine.

NEXT OF KIN APPEAL - STANLEY MCCARTNEY

LIVERPOOL Coroners' Office are appealing for the next of kin of Stanley McCartney to come forward. Mr McCartney, 69, of Withington Road, Speke, died at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital on Tuesday, 29 June, 2010. His death is not suspicious and he died of natural causes. It is believed that Mr McCartney had a daughter called Julie McCartney, who is about 47 or 48 years old and the Coroner's Office are trying to contact her. Anyone with any information of Mr McCartney's next of kin, who who knows Julie McCartney is asked to call the Liverpool Coroner's Office on:- 0151 233 4705.