Business Diary: How much for Knight to ride to the rescue?

British Bankers' Association chief executive Angela Knight was on her usual combative form yesterday over plans for a tax on bankers' bonuses. Does she get a bonus for spinning on behalf of the most unpopular people in the world? Difficult to know, since the BBA's own annual report includes not a single word on what staff at the organisation are paid.

The bull makes a comeback

When Bank of America took over Merrill Lynch, bankers at the latter were very upset to hear their famous bull logo, right, was being axed. Now, after months of lobbying, they've won a famous victory, and will be allowed to continue printing the logo on the back of their business cards after all. It's the little things that matter.

Economists hate being told they're wrong

Cross the economists at your peril. Last week's job data from the US was much better than the economist and analyst community had been predicting. So now these experts are questioning the accuracy of the data. "This is a remarkable turnaround, so remarkable in fact that we may take another month or two to believe it," says Rob Carnell of ING.

The age of chivalry is not dead

To a meeting at 1 Finsbury Square, where someone has clearly taken note of the surly greetings often presented at City buildings. On entering, the two smiling and immaculately groomed receptionists stand when they are approached by visitors. While anything's better than the lumpen and surly security personnel who man the doors at most banks nowadays, the pendulum may have swung a little far the other way.

Not the right time to rock the boat

Contract Law, part of Thomson Reuters, says it is bemused by a sudden drop off in demand for employment dispute lawyers, with the number of cases apparently having fallen sharply over the past month following a relatively busy autumn. Perhaps people are just relieved still to have any job at all in these difficult times.

Number of the day: £1.3bn

The value of £5 notes in circulation, up from £1bn two years ago, after a drive to make more of the notes available