The over-rated Vince Cable said yesterday that hedge fund managers have made money out of shorting bank shares because taxpayers and governments underwrite the banks. John Redwood (who incidentally is the only politician worth reading on financial matters) calls him on this piece of populist idiocy:

Could someone explain to Mr Cable that the last thing someone short of bank shares wants to happen is an announcement of official support for that bank. That puts the price of the shares up which means the Hedge Fund Managers shorting the shares lose money.