Business Diary: A banker with a long memory

With Sir John Gieve upping the ante in the interest rate debate with a speech suggesting the cost of borrowing may rise sooner than expected – which contradicts the view of the Governor of the Bank of England – Howard Wheeldon, a strategist at BGC Partners, wonders whether "this was meant as a backdoor stabbing of Mervyn King". Who knows, but Wheeldon didn't point out was that Sir John, a former deputy governor, might have reason for a spot of revenge – he was publicly humiliated a couple of years ago when news that he was standing down from the Bank leaked during a Mansion House dinner he was attending.

The family help out at Lloyds

Not everyone has it in for the banks: the first comment on the BBC's online report yesterday on Lloyds Banking Group's profits was from a man keen to congratulate the black horse on its performance and to lambast critics of the sector. The gentleman in question was named Vic Daniels. Any relation to Eric Daniels, Lloyds' chief executive? If so, an anonymous comment might have been more effective.

RBS no show to spare Hester?

Still on the topic of the banks, which of the big names is the only one not to be holding a press conference this week to report its results? The answer is Royal Bank of Scotland, which one might have expected to be more accountable than most given the taxpayer's 83 per cent stake in the bank. Still, chief executive Stephen Hester does put his foot in it from time to time, so maybe it is safer to brief people with a telephone conference call.

The high life at lunchtime

Here's a date for your diary if you work in and around Canary Wharf. As part of a series of events to promote the Olympics, UK Athletics is bringing street pole vault to Montgomery Square in the heart of Docklands tomorrow lunchtime. Britain's top pole vaulters are set to feature. Good: it's about time someone raised the bar on performance in the UK's financial services district.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk