Nobody would want to start from here, least of all the bankers. A dearth of capital, worsening loan books and a lack of funding are a horrible combination. It is little wonder they are now as desperate not to lend as they were so recently to lend. Unfortunately, if banks stopped lending, they would create a depression from which everybody, including banks, would suffer. The economy cannot go “cold turkey”. A flow of net lending must be sustained.The starting point for any analysis must be with some harsh realities.

The first is that banks enjoy a state-supported licence to create money. No strictly private business can make a credible promise to do that. Banking is a utility in which taxpayers bear much risk. Regulators have to represent the interests of these risk-bearers of last resort.

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