This is what I call a government!

Brown tells Rover bosses: pay up

Oliver Morgan, Jamie Doward and Heather Stewart in Washington
Sunday April 17, 2005
The Observer

Gordon Brown is to demand that directors of the failed MG Rover must return some of the £40 million they took from the business as pensions and salaries, and set up a fund for the thousands of workers made redundant.

As the government announced an inquiry into the company's complex finances, to be led by Sir Bryan Nicholson, chairman of the Financial Reporting Council, Treasury sources said that the Chancellor agreed with other senior government ministers that the 'Phoenix Four' - the directors of the collapsed company - should share the workers' financial pain.

Pete's Points:

This is what I call appropriate action by a government. What is interesting is that this is a Labour government in England and not the Liberal government in Australia. If only Mr Howard and his colleagues were to extend their version of "mutual obligation" to include senior managements - when they fail - they should pay and not get off scott free with their loot