If this BBC report is true (and it seems plausible enough) then there’s a very simple moral and lesson we can all learn.

As soon as you accept help from the Government, you become their bitch forever.

A 50% tax on bank bonuses though? People already pay income tax on cash bonuses anyway… is this an additional tax, or simply stating that all bonuses for one particular category of people will be subject to a different threshold?

In other words, instead of these bonuses being taxed at 40% as they already are, they’ll be taxed at 50%… assuming, of course, that someone getting a more than £10k bonus isn’t already going to end up in the Government’s new ultra-f**k-you band of income tax. Instead of getting£4k from a £10k bonus the state will now get £5k.

And how do they justify applying this tax to Barclays or HSBC workers? In fact, why not apply this rule to all cash bonuses?

The idea of arbitrary taxation like this, the idea that the Government will now start tweaking taxation to target people in specific companies is horrifying for me. I expect Hayek would positively explode at this one.

But, hurray, we’re all saved! I’m sure the taxation raised will make up for the hideous precedent they’re setting.

Told you: WONDERMENT.