Tories and Scandals, go together like Jesus and sandals

http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2017/...onservative-party-can-anyone-smell-a-scandal/

Probably another one of those clerical errors.

Cheer up Mrs May will have her mandate from the country soon.

I think the SNP are more "professional" than the other parties, particularly at the top. Like him or loathe him, Alex Salmond has built a formidable machine.

Will be interested to see where this one goes, but its worth keeping in mind that senior staff in HSBC are mostly people who have spent their career in HSBC - the tradition within HSBC was that they recruited only promising Scots branch bankers, although the intake was widened a bit in the 1990's. As such, senior managers in HSBC have perhaps less exposure to UK politics than senior managers in other banks do.

I think this says more about HSBC's inglorious history of money-laundering than anything else.

Yes, given HSBC's interesting history, the idea that "helping a good customer with a local difficulty" "isn't really wrong" is deeply ingrained in HSBC's very, very strong corporate culture.

A century and a half of banking in places where the "honourable men in power" are a more or less murderous bunch of thieves leads to that way of thinking.

I note that this thread was started by an apparent Corbynista convert which explains its inflamatory and potentially libelous title.

HSBC Plilippines recently sent me a questionnaire which, they tell me, must be filled in with complete accuracy under penalty of imprisonment, closure of accounts and confiscation of assets! The questionaire is, they say, part of their statutory obligations to combat money laundering and demands proof of orignin of every single penny I own or earn. I find it somewhat ironic - and hypocritical - that an organisation that is so deeply mired in money laundering scandals of its own should threaten customers whose global wealth is totally insignificant compared to those that it has "assisted".

I will be severing my relationship with HSBC in both the UK, where they're closing my branch, and in the Philippines in favour of a small local bank.

I don't bank with them, having been suborned by Barclays, long ago, but, unlike you I had good experiences with them, but I do recall that it felt like banking with the Daleks... "You are thirteen cents overdrawn.., you will be ext..er...minated!"

Which leads me off the point to relate the story of my Hong Kong water bill..

HK water bills are monthly. I was on "long leave" (what a nice concept that was!) so I was away from HK for six weeks, and got home to find a water bill for HK$0.00c

I filed it "WPB" and did the same with the two reminders that followed it... to be greeted by a Final Demand, also filed "WPB", but when a Notice of Disconnection owing to my failure to pay HK$0.00c arrived, I consulted Patricia Ng Sit Ping, who knew everything, and who used about three per cent of her grey cells as the most perfect secretary ever known.

"Simple, you need to write them a cheque for nil dollars nil cents! Here - I've written it out for you"

(0ne of Pat's many virtues was that she controlled my finances - with a rod of iron) .

Cheque for HK$ 0.00c duly mailed and problem solved!

The Scots inspired ethos was - and still is - very strong in Hong Kong and those subsidiaries under its control which includes the Philippines of course. In the UK that influence isn't so apparent as it is effectively Midland Bank re-badged and Midland was always quite a friendly customer-oriented bank. I had banked with Lloyds all my life - as had my parents and grandparents - until early 2007 when I made the decision to move to the Philippines; Lloyds no longer had branches or correspondents outside the UK whereas HSBC advertised itself as the "world'd local bank".

I can relate to that. When Mae and I were living in Cebu, we subscribed to Sky for internet and TV but they seemed unable to issue bills for the correct amount and although we paid what the local manager agreed was owed, the head office kept sending out bills for the wrong amount. After 2 or 3 months, we were surprised to receive a bill with a zero balance. Two weeks later we received a final demand for the same zero balance and on the next day we were cut off!

I have enjoyed dealing with Lloyd's in business. Generally very nice people. One chap who used to run their ship finance desk now lives in Manila and writes for Rappler as the husband of a very well known agony aunt.

I'm hardly a convert - but I suspect I am more open minded than some. I follow no parties, no politicians, and vote in the way that I feel benefits me and my family and the worse off in society the most. It's my vote parties need to win, it's your vote parties can rely on.

All the banks here are asking "customers" to "update" their accounts by filling in such forms...
I filled one in but managed to be so vague with my answers (without false info) that I doubt it will provide them any data that has any value to them..
I expect that in the years to come they will be receive new powers to almost force me to be more accurate and detailed with their form filling chores..
Bankers rule the world and now they are coming for your soul.!

The banks have a myriad of "Know Your Customer" legislation, "Anti Money Laundering" rules, and regular reporting requirements forced on them by the tax authorities and global governments. They are required to verify who you are, the source of your money, and to report details to the relevant authorities.

As regards the OP, worth noting that there is no scandal here, the Electoral Commission confirmed immediately that there was nothing to investigate, the request was based on a dumb conspiracy theory.

I agree that the SNP are more professional than the other parties, it really stands out, they always appear to have done their homework and they all sing off the same hymn sheet when being interviewed by the media.

They are all blinkered in their quest for independence.

They asked me what were the source of my funds??.. I told them that the funds were sourced from my wife`s business which is 100% true...
They didn't believe that so asked me about my pension.. Cheeky bastards.. I told em I have another 13 years before I`m eligible for that pittance!
Thinking about digging a big hole in the ground and sticking it all in there to be honest rather than let the damned world bank and world Gov know what I have and how I got it.

It is becoming more and more difficult to stay below the radar, so to speak.

The SNP are so blinkered in that quest that they forget that they actually do have a day job.

I have found that I am happiest in life whilst unplugged from the system and living off grid.. I find it extremely irritating when they try to find ways to plug me back in..

Where there`s a will,there`s a way!
For now at least!