Barclays boss: banks should be allowed to fail

Barclays boss Bob Diamond tells MPs banks should be "allowed to fail", and that the credit crunch "blame game" is over - but pledges to show restraint in bonus season, as Siobhan Kennedy writes.

- sensitive : sensible
- sensible : raisonnable
- to be set for sth : s'apprêter à
- bailout : sauvetage, renflouement
- to have some leeway : avoir une certaine liberté d'action
- leeway : marge de manoeuvre
- to go by : s'en tenir à
- forgo, forego : renoncer à
- to waive : renoncer à
- payout : (ici) versement / indemnisation (insurance payouts to policy holder : indemnisation aux assurés)
- pool : fonds commun
- Treasury Select Committee

- Select Committee
- bulk : masse, volume
- feat : exploit
- to draw sb somewhere : attirer quun qque part
- to his face : en face
- ladle : une louche
- to defer : (ici) remettre à plus tard
- credit worthiness : solvabilité
- stress test : test de résistance
- contentious : controversé
- in a previous incarnation : dans une vie antérieure
- reward scheme : plan de primes
- compensation (ici) : rémuneration
- corporate governance : gouvernance d'entreprise
- system of managing banks : un système de contrôle des banques

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- to rankle : rester en travers de la gorge
- backlash : réaction violente

Week in Westminster
Multi-million pound bonuses for top staff at the banks, many bailed out by the taxpayer after the credit crunch, blew up as the other big story of the week. Barclays' Bob Diamond thought apologies out of place and out of time. But MPs disagree - as the Conservative Andrea Leadsom and Labour's Chuka Umunna explain.

- grudging : réticent