Yesterday critics were quick to attack Cameron for taking money from hedge funds. ‘Now we see that the same hedge fund wolf pack who brought HBOS to its knees are bankrolling the Tory party,’ said Lord Oakeshott, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman. ‘No wonder David Cameron and George Osborne wouldn’t condemn short-selling or the hedge funds’ disgraceful behaviour.’
Short selling didn’t bring HBOS to its knees. Open short interest was under 3% in the week leading up to the rescue bid.
Be useful if those deciding to comment upon such matters were actually informed, wouldn’t it?
6 responses so far ↓
1 Kit // Sep 28, 2008 at 10:00 am
Gosh and this from a “Tory-sympathising Guardian newspaper”
2 Pat // Sep 28, 2008 at 7:06 pm
See Guido
3 Serf // Sep 29, 2008 at 7:27 am
Hedge funds in the current market conditions are more like a marauding band of Guinea Pigs than Timber Wolves. I am surprised they have any money left to give to the Tory Party.
4 Johnathan Pearce // Sep 29, 2008 at 9:05 am
The jihad against hedge funds and their use of shorting is likely to prove a very silly one, since shorting provides liquidity to the market. With only 3 per cent shorting interest on HBOS, it is also pathetic how the funds got the blame.
I have been away on holiday and several folk, hearing I work in finance, started lecturing me about all those wicked speculators. I am a bit surprised they did not go the full distance and blame it on the Jews.
5 MARK T // Sep 29, 2008 at 12:13 pm
He might have checked what major donor to his party Paul Marshall does
6 john b // Oct 1, 2008 at 1:12 pm
“Hedge funds in the current market conditions are more like a marauding band of Guinea Pigs than Timber Wolves”
Eh? Hedge funds are doing OK for now. PE funds, less so.
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