Northern Rock insisted today that it was on the road to recovery despite posting an annual loss as it prepares itself for private ownership.

One has to hand it to Northern Rock: it really doesn't miss a trick. After commissioning what it describes as "extensive research", the bank is launching a new brand campaign, to be headlined "Northern Rock. Works for Me." Isn't that simply a statement of the obvious? Having been forced to dip into our pockets to save Rock from collapse three years ago, this is one of several banks that works for us all – in theory, at least. After all, as taxpayers, we own the bank and employ its staff.

Those who defend companies such as Provident Financial make two points: that their clients are broadly satisfied with their service (Provident puts the figure at 95 per cent), and that the alternatives are dire. By the latter, they mean the loan shark who will break your legs when you can't pay up, rather than just your heart when the bailiffs knock on the door.

Northern Rock's return to the private sector was kick-started yesterday as UK Financial Investments, the body that represents taxpayers' interests in the banking sector, invited bankers to pitch for a mandate to work on "strategic options".

Was the fuss about his £500,000 really fair then?

It's true that Mr Hoffman was going to be paid £500,000 in salary, pension and benefits for doing, well, nothing, and that £500,000 came from the taxpayer because Northern Rock is state-owned.

Unions described the decision by state-owned Northern Rock to hand chief executive Gary Hoffman £500,000 in pay, pension and other benefits for doing nothing for six months as a "punch in the stomach" yesterday.

Nationalised bank Northern Rock today confirmed Gary Hoffman has stepped down as chief executive with immediate effect.

Judging from the title alone it looked as if High Society Brides was going to be the month's least tactful bit of scheduling. During the day we'd learned that the entire nation was about to go on a bread-and-dripping diet and in the evening it seemed we would be able to cheer ourselves up by watching the upper crust uniting their inherited wealth in the holy bond of matrimony. And, judging from the opening five minutes, it looked as if judging from the title hadn't been entirely misleading. Various women with cut-glass accents recalled when they first met their husband ("Shooting... grouse moor in Yorkshire") or exchanged emollient truisms about wealth. "Money can be a lubricant I think, can't it?" said one musingly. "Mmmm... yes... opens doors," replied another. Oh dear, I'm not going to be able to take a lot of this, I thought. Not when so many people are going to be finding the lubricant in short supply.

The group formed from Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley's toxic loans has paid back another £1bn in taxpayer cash this year after ramping up its debt repayments.

The group formed from Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley's toxic loans has paid back another £1 billion in taxpayer cash this year after ramping up its debt repayments.

There are two distinct strains of Manic Street Preachers album: the grandiose agit-rock ones designed to force-feed arena crowds the sorts of philosophical ruminations they won't encounter at school; and the more hermetic, astringent exercises like The Holy Bible.

Around 100,000 finance jobs have been lost since the start of the banking crisis three years ago and there are fears of further "significant" cuts ahead, according to a new report today.