Back in September last year the bank was forced to ask the Bank of England for emergency financial support (£25 billion) due to loaning money beyond its means, because of the global credit crunch. This caused savers with Northern Rock to start drawing out there savings, leading to queues outside branches and the companies website crashing. The words "don't panic" by those in charge brought about the first run on a British bank in more than one hundred years.
At present every tax payer in Britain has provided over £2,000 to help the Government keep the bank from declaring itself bankrupt and causing a serious recession. The money lent is now to be repaid in bonds by the bank and its hoped that a private group will buy the bank, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is in the running. If this didn't happen and the Government nationalise Northern Rock they would be responsible for some of the mortgages in the country, which is not a position any Government wants to find themselves in.
There's something to be said for keeping your money under your mattress!
For a more detailed timeline of the Northern Rock crisis check out http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7007076.stm
5 comments:
Yes i don't know what to make of it all i do think that richard Branson will make something of it, if it all goes ahead.
I am sure the government would make a great job of running the bank, they do soooo well with everyhing else :-)
eggs and baskets come to mind
not so sure about pillowcases these days though
All of this talk about recession on a global scale is pretty scary.
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