Shouldn't we copy Cyprus so we can pay some of the national debt off ?

Everybody in the UK, every man woman and child, and children not even born yet has already paid more than their fair share due to the disaster that was created by those banksters in the first place. If the UK banks use that latest Cyprus-gate episode over here as some kind of 'green light' to do the same thing, there will be BIG trouble.

Only on people with very large assets I think- but then that might discourage investment. Otherwise you penalise the ordinary person who has happened to be prudent and might well need that money more directly.

We are not nearly in the state some of these southern European countries are in, so I don't see why we would even need it. When we have been trying to get the banks to capitalise then what?

I think the better way would be to deal with the ridiculous levels of bankers' pay and bonuses which are entirely unjustified by performance (one nationalised bank last year was still making a loss yet paying out such large amounts amounting to a good chunk of its total losses- would it not be better to pay down its debts?) might have something to do with it, plus risky behaviour which still hadn't been entirely stymied by the financial crisis.

And fewer perks for central and local government members, and fewer layers of government.

What Cyprus is doing could trigger the collapse of the world financial system which would lead to the fall of society. It is the most dangerous thing ever done in the history of mankind. Read more on this, other politics and world affairs on my web site, given below.

If you take into Quantitative easing we have already been robbed of 30% of our money.

If handing over 10% of my savings in a bank would help I would be happy enough to do it, I would even go to 50%. The key word being bank.

If people are naive enough to believe their savings are safe in a Bank then more fool them. No one should keep any more than they need to finance their living in a bank account, the rest should be dispersed in Gold/silver, Stocks, Bitcoin, whatever, just anywhere that makes it hard to be seized.

No. Why should people who have saved and been prudent be penalised to pay for the excesses of others AGAIN?

I for one am thinking of finding another way of looking after my savings than in a bank. This outrageous theft is quite possibly going to cause another run on banks.

If your are referring to a banking transaction tax, that is exactly what the EU want to impose and what David Cameron resists. It would drive the banks out of the UK (where they pay large taxes) and into another, non-EU, country. Not only would the UK lose the revenue, it would cause huge unemployment numbers.

This one act by Cypriot Government will boost Nigel Farages UKIP. He must be loving it.

We (or our dysfunctional Government) already have, we (or our dysfunctional Government) call it something different, Quantitative Easing.

yeah great idea. then we would all remove our money from the banks and the whole banking system would crumble to dust.

yes.