The added bonus of good argument

YOUR Editoral (Yorkshire Post, January 30) rightly stated that Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester commands a salary of £1.2m “which should be sufficient for any individual”.

It also pointed out that his package, agreed by the last Labour Government, was deemed to be justified because it was the going rate for the job, and he was brought in from elsewhere to try and sort out the mess.

As such, one has to wonder at the fuss that his earnings has incurred, when he is in the process of trying to turn round the bank’s fortunes, and is in control of thousands of employees.

Compare this to premier league footballers, many of whom earn far more, and yet little criticism is ever made of their totally unjustified salary levels, let alone hearing our politicians crying out for something to be done about that.

It is all too easy to criticise bankers’ and chief executives’ pay, but fire also needs to be directed at other unacceptable excesses, against which action is long overdue.

Just going for the easy and/or popular targets is simply not good enough.

From: Stanley Parr, Maple Avenue, Pershore, Worcs.

IT’S not everyday that somebody gives up £1m! The contract was for somebody to rescue RBS – Stephen Hester applied and was accepted for the job. He could have gone anywhere and earned more!

To ensure he delivers, results are monitored by an executive committee and, after his salary, the committee can veto the agreed bonus, or not.

In other words – subject to the committee approving the financial results, which they did – he is entitled to his bonus! The fact “that he can afford it” is irrelevant! The money was offered and he did the job!

How many of us have accepted a wage, or salary for a job, then done the job correctly, but for free?

What Mr Hester has just surrendered, has earned him far more than £1m – his generosity has lit a beacon of hope and trust, for faith in the future of Britain!

Mr Hester now has the priceless gratitude of the British people. We need more Mr Hesters – to lead the way.

From: Barrie Frost, Watson’s Lane, Reighton, Filey.

IT is nauseating in the extreme for those receiving truly obscene remuneration packages, and those who support them, to continually threaten to go “elsewhere” if any attempt is made to restrict their outrageous greed, for isn’t greed the only way which their demands can be described and how can anyone morally justify such blackmail.

There is simply not enough opportunities or vacancies in “elsewhere” to accommodate all those who believe they are qualified to visit these greener pastures, so why don’t we just let them get on with moving (Tom Richmond, Yorkshire Post, January 31).

From: Nigel Bywater, Airedale Terrace, Morley, Leeds.

SIR Philip Hampton, the Royal Bank of Scotland’s chairman, and Stephen Hester, the chief executive, have both turned down bonuses.

Good on them. Both men will, more than likely, still earn more than £1m each.

The that the British taxpayer will receive, would not have been possible without those protesters that “occupied” city centres in Leeds and around the world; and perhaps, Ed Milliband, and the Labour Party’s call for a vote in Parliament to reject these bonuses.

From: Godfrey Bloom MEP for Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire, Main Street, Wressle, Selby.

AN excellent example of how renewable energy damages the economy is the announcement by the Royal Bank of Scotland that they are loaning £300m to UK energy projects.

Money for useless wind mills and solar panels which should be going to real industries.