In this Pointmaker, published by the Centre for Policy Studies, the authors propose distributing the shares that the Government bought in RBS and Lloyds to all taxpayers. Taxpayers would repay the original stake only when they sold their shares on. This would:
- Give all taxpayers a windfall estimated at between £500 and £1000 each
- Ensure that the Treasury receives full value from their shares
- Help to restore popular support for our financial institutions.
Lord Saatchi, Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies, comments:
“We gave the Government our money to invest in the banks. If there is a profit on our investment, that is our profit. Like any investor, we want it paid to us promptly and directly. We do not want it lost in the maze of other Government schemes and projects. The message is simple. If there is a gain on our bank shares, it is our gain. We want it.”
Recent significant media:
- Money Marketing: Banking commission report set to overhaul UK banking
- The Times: PM says he wants people owning bank in genuine way
- Ryan Bourne, City AM: A brave plan to reprivatise RBS would give the coalition common purpose
- Anthony Hilton, Evening Standard: Bank-shares giveaway is a clever idea
- Robert Peston, BBC: Who should get RBS and Lloyds shares?
- Telegraph: Barclays backs share deal for voters
- Share Centre: The Share Centre supports the distribution of bank shares
- Allister Heath, City AM: The best way to get people to care about our economy is to give them a stake in it
Original media impact:
- CNBC: UK may give Lloyds, RBS shares to taxpayers
- The Sun: RBS and Lloyds: it’s payback time
- The Telegraph: CPS calls for RBS and Lloyds shares to be given to taxpayers
- The Times: Learning to Love Bankers (£)
- The Independent: How can bank sales pay dividends for us?
- The Daily Mail: Taxpayers could be given £1000 worth of shares
- City AM: Taxpayers could get bank shares
- The Daily Mail: Will you get a Lloyds and RBS shares windfall?
- My Finances: Think tank calls for RBS and Llyods share issue to all taxpayers
- Banking Times: Rescued Banks should provide “fair shares” for taxpayers
- Money Marketing: Calls fro RBS and Lloyds shares to be handed to taxpayer
- Kleinwort Benson: Nick Clegg backs giving public shares in RBS and Lloyds
- The BBC: Give public bailed-out banks shares says Nick Clegg
- Conservative Home: Nick Clegg recommends the CPS plan for bank re-privatisation
- Channel 4 News: Give public shares in bailed out banks – Clegg
- Citywire: Give free bank shares to taxpayers, says Clegg
- The Economist: The Challenge of Reprivatisation
- The Evening Standard: RBS shares for all? That sounds like a real winner
- Conservative Home: The CPS Share Scheme Idea is still the least bad idea alternative, as taxpayers, for disposing of our stake in RBS
- The Telegraph: Barclays backs RBS share deal for voters
- City AM: How we can reignite popular capitalism into Britain’s state-owned banks
- The Evening Standard: Bank shares give-away is a clever idea
- Reuters: Britain mulls giving RBS shares to public – report
- The Daily Mail: Now everyone could get shares windfall in RBS under Osborne’s scheme to offload bank before election
- The Independent: George Osborne’s RBS exit plan: £400 share gift for every taxpayer to woo voters
- The Daily Express: Plan for RBS ‘vote winner’ windfall
- The Times: Tories planning handout of RBS shares to voters
- CPS Blog: Ryan Bourne – How the Government should re-privatise RBS
