Right on the target but wide of the mark

Forgive the use of Mr Fry's lyrics, but the hardest part of this lark is finding a suitably witty title. I am struck by the rabble-rousing angry mob tactics of the media and the politicians lately with regard to bankers, and more expressly their bonuses, and how desperately wide of the mark they are. It is a fact of life - it has been for some time - that performance related pay is an easy way for banks and other financial services institutions to reward the staff that do well and to carrot-and-stick those that don't perform. Let's call this a 'bonus', shall we? It is part of every employees remuneration package and it is earned, one way or another.

Why then, does the frankly nasty, tawdry old man in front of me in the queue at the bank the other day decide to score points off the poor girl by berating her for her 'bonus' and the link he has - erroneously - made between her bonus and his lack of a pension increase? Did he arrive at that conclusion himself? No. He read it in the paper, or is dim enough to believe a politician.

It is the same at every election time. This time it is the banker. Previous candidates for pillorying have been, variously, Fat Cats, Benefit Cheats, Captains of Industry, Football Hooligans - every election brings a new villain to the table.

Please, by all means, banker bash all you want, but please use some intelligence when having a pop at bank clerks. They weren't trading in sub-prime securitisations, they were just counting your money.