naked capitalism

…So the UK press aren’t allowed to call him a banker (!), or mention his infidelity with a married colleague.

However, since MP John Hemming mentioned the case under parliamentary privilege, you can get part of the story from the Telegraph:

He said: “In a secret hearing this week Fred Goodwin has obtained a super-injunction preventing him being identified as a banker.

“Will the government have a debate or a statement on freedom of speech and whether there’s one rule for the rich like Fred Goodwin and one rule for the poor?”

Leader of the House Sir George Young said a forthcoming Westminster Hall debate would explore freedom of speech, adding: “I will raise with the appropriate minister the issue he has just raised.”

The terms of the injunction are so strict that the Daily Telegraph cannot reveal the nature of the information that Sir Fred Goodwin is attempting to protect.

…and deduce the rest from this, which used to be online at the Daily Mail, but has, um, been taken down:

A senior executive at a bank bailed out by taxpayers has taken out a gagging order to prevent a newspaper from revealing his affair with a colleague.

The High Court privacy ruling is likely to fuel public anger surrounding controversial decisions which allow the rich and famous to silence reporting and criticism of scandals.

In what will be seen as another blow to free speech, judge Mr Justice Richard Henriques sided with the married banker.

His decision is the latest in a string of similar court orders taken out to cover up scandals.

They are frequently used by stars and Premiership footballers on multi-million pound salaries, with the money to ‘buy’ them.

The banker, who is paid a substantial six figure sum, began the illicit affair before the credit crunch erupted and plunged the country into recession, The Sun reported.

He was present when the Government was forced to inject almost £1trillion into propping up the banks.

Now thousands are losing their jobs amid swingeing cuts.

One bank insider told the paper: ‘Given what was going on at the time they got together, I’m surprised either of them had the time or the energy.’

In the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, informed that an MP had been caught sodomizing a Guardsman under a tree, on the coldest night of the decade:

Makes you proud to be British

Hardy and underrated British sexual appetite may be a source of quiet pride; British press freedom, less so.  More on superinjunctions, which used to be called gag orders, here.