This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18708226#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Barclays ex-boss Diamond slams 'reprehensible' action Barclays ex-boss Diamond slams 'reprehensible' action
(40 minutes later)
Bob Diamond, who resigned as Barclays chief executive on Tuesday in the wake of the inter-bank interest rate-fixing scandal, has called the behaviour of those responsible "reprehensible".Bob Diamond, who resigned as Barclays chief executive on Tuesday in the wake of the inter-bank interest rate-fixing scandal, has called the behaviour of those responsible "reprehensible".
He said he only found out about the true extent of the rigging this month.He said he only found out about the true extent of the rigging this month.
Mr Diamond said he "loved" Barclays and had resigned to protect its reputation. "I'm sorry, disappointed and angry."
Mr Diamond is being questioned by MPs about the rate rigging, specifically about who knew what and when.Mr Diamond is being questioned by MPs about the rate rigging, specifically about who knew what and when.
MPs are also asking about the role of the Bank of England and the previous government in the rate-fixing.MPs are also asking about the role of the Bank of England and the previous government in the rate-fixing.
Mr Diamond said he "loved" Barclays and had resigned to protect its reputation. "I'm sorry, disappointed and angry; there is no excuse for this behaviour." Mr Diamond defended the bank's actions to address the problems of rate-rigging when they were first discovered.
He defended the bank's actions to address the problems of rate-rigging when they were first discovered.
"As soon as we recognised [the problem] three years ago... we said 'let's get to the bottom of this'", he said."As soon as we recognised [the problem] three years ago... we said 'let's get to the bottom of this'", he said.
He had, he said, felt "physically sick" when reading emails from traders that revealed what they had been doing.
The regulatory agencies involved, including the Financial Services Authority in the UK and US authorities, "applauded our co-operation", he added.The regulatory agencies involved, including the Financial Services Authority in the UK and US authorities, "applauded our co-operation", he added.
"This is not coming out in the court of public opinion.""This is not coming out in the court of public opinion."
'Judicial inquiry' He said a number of supervisors at Barclays had already been dealt with, while he understood that there "would be ongoing criminal investigations".
Earlier, the prime minister said Barclays' actions were "appalling". 'Judicial inquiry'
Earlier, the prime minister said Barclays' actions had been "appalling".
David Cameron said it was "outrageous" that homeowners and businesses paid higher interest rates as a result of the bank's rate-rigging.David Cameron said it was "outrageous" that homeowners and businesses paid higher interest rates as a result of the bank's rate-rigging.
Labour leader Ed Miliband called for a two-part inquiry led by a judge, looking at both Libor and the wider culture of banking in the City, rather than the parliamentary inquiry proposed by the government. Mr Cameron said a judicial inquiry was not necessary.Labour leader Ed Miliband called for a two-part inquiry led by a judge, looking at both Libor and the wider culture of banking in the City, rather than the parliamentary inquiry proposed by the government. Mr Cameron said a judicial inquiry was not necessary.
In another development, the Bank's deputy governor, Paul Tucker, has asked to give evidence to the Treasury Select Committee in order to give his side of the story.In another development, the Bank's deputy governor, Paul Tucker, has asked to give evidence to the Treasury Select Committee in order to give his side of the story.
"Mr Tucker is keen to give evidence to the committee in order to clarify the position with regard to the events involving the Bank of England, including the telephone conversation with Bob Diamond on 29 October 2008," the Bank said in a statement."Mr Tucker is keen to give evidence to the committee in order to clarify the position with regard to the events involving the Bank of England, including the telephone conversation with Bob Diamond on 29 October 2008," the Bank said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Barclays released Mr Diamond's note of a conversation in 2008 with Mr Tucker.On Tuesday, Barclays released Mr Diamond's note of a conversation in 2008 with Mr Tucker.
Mr Diamond writes that Mr Tucker told him of concerns among "senior figures within Whitehall" about why Barclays was setting its Libor rate - the rate at which banks lend to one another - at the "top end". Mr Diamond wrote that Mr Tucker told him of concerns among "senior figures within Whitehall" about why Barclays was setting its Libor rate - the rate at which banks lend to one another - at the "top end".
Subsequently, the Libor borrowing rates submitted by Barclays fell, potentially understating the extent of the bank's borrowing costs.Subsequently, the Libor borrowing rates submitted by Barclays fell, potentially understating the extent of the bank's borrowing costs.
Wrong impression? Wrong impression? href="/news/special/business/11/economy_jargon/css/main.css?cachebuster=cb00000001" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> Crisis jargon buster Use the dropdown for easy-to-understand explanations of key financial terms:
AAA-rating The best credit rating that can be given to a borrower's debts, indicating that the risk of borrowing defaulting is minuscule. href="/news/business-15060411">Glossary in full
The Libor inter-bank rate plays a key role in global markets, affecting what banks, businesses and individuals pay to borrow money. Mr Diamond told MPs that Mr Tucker had not identified these "senior figures".
href="http://group.barclays.com/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadername2=MDT-Type&blobheadervalue1=inline%3B+filename%3D3-July---Supplementary-information-on-LIBOR.pdf&blobheadervalue2=abinary%3B+charset%3DUTF-8&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1330686951854&ssbinary=true" >Barclays said in Tuesday's statement that Mr Diamond did not view his conversation with Mr Tucker as an instruction to change its rates submission. He said he was not shocked by what Mr Tucker had told him, and that this was not the first conversation he had had with Mr Tucker about Libor.
However, after the phonecall with Mr Tucker, Mr Diamond relayed the conversation to Jerry del Missier, a senior executive in Barclays investment banking arm BarCap who resigned on Tuesday. He said his first reaction was that Barclays' then-chairman John Varley needed to get to Whitehall and let government officials know that the bank was "funding fine" - that it was not struggling to borrow money from international lenders. This was particularly important given that the bank was in the process of securing a multi-billion pound investment from the Middle East.
Barclays said: "Jerry del Missier concluded that an instruction had been passed down from the Bank of England not to keep Libors so high and he therefore passed down a direction to that effect to the [traders]." Mr Diamond also reiterated that he did not view his conversation with Mr Tucker as an instruction to change its rates submissions.
'No recollection' href="/news/special/business/11/economy_jargon/css/main.css?cachebuster=cb00000001" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> Crisis jargon buster Use the dropdown for easy-to-understand explanations of key financial terms:
AAA-rating The best credit rating that can be given to a borrower's debts, indicating that the risk of borrowing defaulting is minuscule. href="/news/business-15060411">Glossary in full
He explained that Barclays' chief operating officer Jerry del Missier, who also resigned on Tuesday, "misunderstood" what was relayed to him regarding the conversation with Mr Tucker.
It is unclear who the "senior Whitehall" figures mentioned by Mr Diamond were. Mr del Messier subsequently directed traders to take actions to lower Barclays' Libor rates.
Labour minister Baroness Vadera of Holland Park has said she has "no recollection" of speaking with anyone at the Bank of England about Libor, while former City minister Lord Myners told the BBC that he did not put pressure on the Bank of England or on Barclays to lower its Libor rate. Mr Diamond said the FSA had investigated Mr del Messier's actions and were satisfied that they had been the result of a misunderstanding and the regulator would, therefore, take no further action against him.
The manipulation of Libor took place in 2008, around the time Barclays was raising funds privately in the Middle East - rather than taking emergency loans from the government like a number of other major UK banks - following the credit crunch and the onset of the financial crisis. 'No recollection'
This manipulation of Libor took place in 2008, around the time Barclays was raising funds privately in the Middle East - rather than taking emergency loans from the government like a number of other major UK banks - following the credit crunch and the onset of the financial crisis.
Barclays is also being investigated for manipulating Libor rates to increase profits as far back as 2005.Barclays is also being investigated for manipulating Libor rates to increase profits as far back as 2005.
The bank is also being investigated in the US, where the Department of Justice is undertaking criminal investigations into other financial institutions and individuals. Banks are also facing a number of class-action lawsuits relating to the manipulation of inter-bank lending rates.The bank is also being investigated in the US, where the Department of Justice is undertaking criminal investigations into other financial institutions and individuals. Banks are also facing a number of class-action lawsuits relating to the manipulation of inter-bank lending rates.
Mr Diamond's resignation came less than a week after Barclays was fined £290m for its role in Libor manipulation.Mr Diamond's resignation came less than a week after Barclays was fined £290m for its role in Libor manipulation.
Are you a Barclays employee or customer? Let us know how you have been affectedAre you a Barclays employee or customer? Let us know how you have been affected