Business Diary: Asda plans its big moment on YouTube

Forget online Britney Spears clips: Asda wants you to switch to a live webcam of workers at its carrot factory. It's part of the grocer's desire to boost confidence in its supply chain. Laudable enough, but don't people have better things to do with their time than watch carrot chopping – let alone battery chicken farming, another viewing option? Asda boss Andy Bond says: "If that is what customers want we will have to consider this very seriously."

Supermarket bosses urged to come clean

Still on Asda, following the MPs' expenses scandal, Mr Bond says he is happy to publish his personal expenses. "If I get a pile of requests, bring it on," he explains. Still, while parent company Wal-Mart is known for enforcing frugality, other retail chiefs who have got used to the high life might not feel so comfortable with such openness.

Buik predicts mutiny in the trenches

More from our favourite City rent-a-quote, David Buik, who has strong views on the Government's attempts to show a lead on bonuses. "Once the Government has finished with banking regulation, the City of London will look like the aftermath of the Somme in 1916," Mr Buik says.

The extreme approach to bashing the banks

Forget the mantra about the customer always being right at your peril. Dalton Chiscolm, a customer of Bank of America, was so upset about the way he was treated in one of its branches that he has launched a lawsuit against the institution. He wants damages of "$1,784 billion, trillion". Bad news if the bank loses.

Short sellers back in the firing line

More action from the Financial Services Authority on those nasty short sellers: "[The FSA] intends to pursue enhanced transparency of short selling through disclosure of significant short positions in all equities." Or not – the FSA adds: "It will work towards agreement on future requirements at an international level rather than introducing a separate domestic regime. In the meantime it has no plans for immediate changes." Hedge funds must be terrified.

Number of the day: 805,000

The number of Aviva customers set to receive windfalls totalling £470m after the insurer reforms its inherited estate.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk