They would say that, wouldn't they?

I've got that Groundhog Day feeling. The banks make another round of  job cuts and the unions label them uncaring swines.

This time around, Unite has condemned 'brutal' job cuts at Lloyds Banking Group and RBS. The gruesome twosome are axing 1,300 and 464 jobs respectively. At Lloyds, 300 jobs are being sent abroad from IT whilst another 100 are being cut.

Have to say that the union has a point here. It doesn't look good when taxpayer supported institutions lay off staff at the lower end of their pay scales, particularly when it comes so soon after the massive bonuses handed out to their top dogs.

Depressing stuff.

Sir Fred the Shred no more

The business community can be its own worse enemy at times, can't it? Whilst politicians, the media and the vast majority of people in this country have welcomed the move, figures from the business world have condemned the decision to strip Fred Goodwin of his knighthood.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) has warned of politicians creating "anti-business hysteria." Whilst former Labour Trade Minister and ex-Confederation of British Industry head Lord Digby Jones said there was "the faint whiff of the lynch mob on the village green" about the move.

The argument is that Fred the Shred has not been convicted of crime and traditionally only convicted criminals or people struck off professional bodies have had knighthoods taken away. Ultimately, however, he was given the title for services to banking. Considering his role in creating the biggest financial recession in modern times, it's the right thing to strip him of the knighthood. Of course, others should shoulder the blame as well but the man is the epitome of everything that went wrong with banking. To quote a Cabinet Office spokesman: "The scale and severity of the impact of his actions as CEO of RBS made this an exceptional case."

The public is shifting to the left (admittedly, you wouldn't guess it from the polls but put that down to the lame duck leader of the opposition that is Ed Miliband). All across the country people are feeling the squeeze and, in many cases, facing genuine hardship. Which makes it all the more ridiculous that the business community should see fit to talk of lynch mobs and scapegoats.

Is that all there is?

RBS: Inside The Bank That Ran Out Of Money, on BBC2 earlier this week, was an exceptionally well-made documentary. It didn't tell you anything new about the RBS story but it did skillfully weave together stock footage, archive interviews, talking heads and the occasional witty flourish (e.g. Peggy Lee singing Is that all there is? over the end credits) to produce an engrossing programme.

Plus there was the bonus of previously never-before-broadcast footage of Fred the Shred's final meeting with RBS shareholders. It's immensely satisfying to see him face up to an angry investor demanding an apology. The then chairman Sir Tom McKillop had already apologised but when an hour passed without a similar gesture from Fred, said investor grabbed the microphone and stated that people wanted to hear the word sorry pass his lips. "I wouldn't want there to be any doubt. I am extremely sorry," says a squirming Fred. Whether he meant it is left for you to decide - the programme has a slightly mocking tone when covering the record loss of £28 billion and Government bail-out and the fact that one of the central players walked away with a fat pension and knighthood intact. But ultimately the narration is coolly detached, rather than Michael Moore style lecture/rant. And all the better for it.

Watch it here.