Remind me again, how much of these banks do we own?

Remind us again what the governement have told the banks to do - increase their capital bases, not take risks, comply with new regulation. The government do not want them to lend - they just make noises for the benefit of the electorate.

You are, without doubt, the least self-aware person I have ever come across. Absolutely astonishing.

Shame that Jessops has gone under. Always liked them.

Of the whole banking sector in the UK a very small amount - can you imagine the uproar there would be if either of the government banks ended up with huge losses on the back of very risky lending?

One thing that doesn't seem to get much press is the number of businesses banks are keeping going that should have gone. If this happened it would clear the way for the well run businesses to make progress.

You mean that if we clear the decks of all businesses run on an overdraft and with loans and leases for equipment and modernisation, then the UK economy would be just hunky-dory and we wouldn't all be out of jobs at all ?

Where did I suggest running a business on an overdraft is representative of a poorly run business?

In every sector there are businesses that corrupt the equilibrium of the that market, pre-packs are a classic example. These firms go bust but phoenix with the same owners but no debt as a result their overheads are artificially understated and that is reflected in the prices they offer. This affects the whole market and everyone who has run their business correctly suffers. Fortunately the failure rate for pre-packs is very high but whilst they are operating the cause significant issues.

Pre-packs make up a tiny percentage of companies operating in the UK and those specifically set up in order to gain markets with the intention of folding and setting up again are a fraction of that figure. Much of the banks' capital is tied up in lending to "zombie" companies. They are borrowing to keep afloat, treading water, waiting for an upturn but at the same time keeping people in jobs. So despite not assisting in growing the economy, they are at least assisting in keeping their employees spending.

There have been calls for the banks to foreclose on the loans to "zombies" and use the released capital to assist companies with potentialfor growth. The problem with that, as the banks know only too well, is that they'd probaby only realise 10% of the capital loaned, so that drastically reduces the pot of money available to other companies.

It would also adversely affect their balance sheet and their own cost of borrowing too!!

I always found them helpful.

Someone somewhere was suggesting that there's no place for such a company in "the digital world", but I cannot fathom anyone wanting to buy something such as a piece of camera kit online. I much prefer to have the chance to discuss a major purchase with someone, look at it, even test it out.

problem is, people did just that, and then bought online because they could get it cheaper, even from Jessops themselves, I saw a lens online for about £700, found a shop near where I was working and the tag price was nearer £1000, so I went home, and duly ordered it from a completely differene supplier.

Jessops invested a substantial amount in print technology just as the market all but collapsed, and again, there were cheaper alternatives available.

Such great growth (between double dips into recession) that GDP is still below 2007 levels.
And still no sign of plan B.
But hey- ho, the cabinet millionaires are doing ok, so let' s be thankful.