Despite their differences of opinion on financial regulation, British PM Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have united in an article published in the Wall Street Journal today, calling for a level playing field for taxing bonuses and restricting pay across the world.
In what is seen as an open attempt to lure US President Barrack Obama on board, the article says;
“This crisis has made us recognise that we are now in an economy which is no longer national but global, so financial standards must also be global. We must ensure that through proper regulation, the financial sector operates on a level playing field globally.”
Calling for a ‘new compact between global banks and the society they serve’, Brown and Sarkozy said;
“We agree that a one-off tax in relation to bonuses should be considered a priority, due to the fact that bonuses for 2009 have arisen partly because of government support for the banking system. However, it is clear the action that must be taken must be at a global level. No one territory can be expected to or be able to act on its own. And if we can find a solution, implemented consistently across the major economies, then we may find a way to ensure that taxpayers do not pay for the risks taken by the banking sector.”
In the US a poll has revealed that 75% of the public believe that none of the US banks that recieved state aid should even consider paying bonuses this year.
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