
This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to apply the same guarantee to those of us who deposited our hard earned savings in the Equitable Life as it has done to savers in Northern Rock. More details
Submitted by Mike Hough – Deadline to sign up by: 21 September 2008 – Signatures: 111
The Government has provided a 100% guarantee to savers in Northern Rock and, by implication, to other 'banks' such as Alliance & Leicester. On the following day Northern Rock investors (i.e. shareholders) saw their investment rise by 8.22% and those investors in Alliance & Leicester by 32.17% as a direct result of the Government guarantee. Shareholders, by definition, know and understand the risks of investing in equity. They are aware that share prices fall as well as rise. Investors are risk takers.
Savers who deposit their hard earned funds into such organizations are not risk takers, which is why they chose 'building societies' rather than themselves buying equity directly. It would seem inequitable that Government is prepared to provide guarantees which bring benefit to shareholders but refuse such guarantees to savers such as those who deposited money in Equitable Life.
Mike Hough, the Petition Creator, joined by: