Election debate 3

Q3: How are you going to deal with Banking Bonuses?

Cameron - Have a banking levy, get the banks lending again esp. cosying to small businesses. Retail banks need to be reigned in from the most ricky bets ('we agree with Obama'). Labour have been up with the banks for 13 years - they won't do much to help it! We want to change things, bring the Bank of England back in charge of things. Attacks Clegg's EU policy esp. on the Euro.

Clegg - no bonuses at all from any bankers at board level... we don't want the temptation to be there. No cash bonuses at all above 2.5k. Specific and tough but will root out this unacceptable behaviour. Both Tories & labour have been far too focussed on the City of London and we need to break that stronghold. We need to break up the banks to protect ourselves from the banks ever doing this to us again.

Brown - we bailed out Northern Rock, helped Halifax, Lloyds TSB etc. We need to restructure the banks totally, recapitalise the banks. We will never allow them to act in an unfair way again. We need a levy in line with the international levels. We have already taxed the bonuses.

Comment: It's getting feisty! All are angry at the banks, and the debate is focussed around what Labour has already done, and what we should be doing next. Govt owns shares for most of the banks, and will continue to fight for a global levy so that banks won't leave the country. Cameron and Clegg are firm in saying we need a banking levy now, so that we can get our money back. It seems rather convoluted.