LONDON, Jan 10 (KUNA) -- Sky-high figures for bankers' bonuses seem to come "from a parallel universe" to many people, UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Monday.
He stressed that those running state-owned banks such as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) should be sensitive to taxpayers' concerns when awarding extra payouts.
His comments echo those of Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday, when he said RBS should be a "back marker" when it came to bonus settlements.
Clegg told the BBC Radio "I totally accept that the sky-high numbers that are bandied about in the City of London seem to come from a parallel universe to many people.
"But I think the key issue of principle is this - for those people running state-owned banks, they have to be sensitive to British taxpayers, who are the shareholders of these state-owned banks, so we are entitled to say that should be reflected in the sensitivity with which bonuses are awarded.
"The people who run these banks should show extra sensitivity and transparency in the way in which they reward themselves."(end) he.asa KUNA 101242 Jan 11NNNN