Bob Diamond has rejected growing calls to resign as Barclays boss and blamed a “small number of people” for the rates-rigging scandal which has engulfed the bank. Mr Diamond attempted to play down the extent of the dishonesty at the bank when he claimed, in a letter to the Commons Treasury Select Committee, that a handful of individual traders were responsible for part of the scandal and that it had been stopped swiftly. Agreeing to give evidence before the committee, he told chairman Andrew Tyrie: “We are now completing a review of employee conduct for all of those involved. “That process is rigorous and all appropriate options will be pursued for those who have a case to answer, ranging from the clawback or withholding of remuneration to being asked to leave the bank.” He added: “I am determined that Barclays plays its role as a full corporate citizen, acting properly and fairly always, and contributing positively to society in everything that we do.” Late last night he told a meeting of analysts at Morgan Stanley that he had no intention of standing down as the bank’s chief executive. Shares in Barclays were down 0.7p at 164.5p in morning trading after falling 15 per cent yesterday. Mr Diamond’s defiance emerged after The Times revealed that RBS is set to be fined about £150 million for offences of market manipulation similar to those which inflicted huge damage on Barclays. Informed sources said RB
Jesse Jackson in 1983.
On Wednesday evening, Jesse Jackson went on television to say that he had apologized to Barack Obama for remarks made about the presidential candidate on the previous Sunday.

On Sunday, July 6, Jackson, a United States civil rights proponent, minister, and former presidential candidate, was in a television studio for a live interview. While the broadcast went off-air for a commercial, Jackson leaned toward a fellow panelist and uttered a few comments. Though not broadcast live, the cameras were still recording.

The video footage shows Jackson saying that he felt that presidential candidate and presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, is "talking down to black people."

In the recording, Jackson then added "I want to cut his nuts out," and reiterated "Barack ... he's talking down to black people."

In Jackson's follow-up statement on Wednesday he said he had called the Obama campaign to apologize "for any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused."

"My support for Senator Obama's campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal," Jackson said.

Bill Burton, a spokesperson for Obama, said that Barack Obama would "continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology."

"His comments were a combination of personal ego and ideological dispute," said Clarence Page of the ''Chicago Tribune'', who has covered Jackson for many years.

Many, including Page, have suggested that Jackson's comment was in response to a speech delivered by Obama on Father's Day. "Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father," Obama said on June 15. "It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."