An at-a-glance guide to the tactics and linguistic ploys that Bob Diamond used in his select committee appearanceFirst designation termsIf Bob Diamond thought that using MPs’ first names was going to – as he place it – “win him some like”, he misread the mood. “Really annoying that Mr Diamond is using our first names. So rude,” tweeted the Labour member Teresa Pearce from inside the committee room. Etiquette books might also have something to affirm about tweeting during an evidence session.’We got it incorrect’Diamond, or RED as he was known after his initials, had seemingly consulted his thesaurus outside before the hearing as he ran the gamut of words to cover the behaviour of his staff. They were “reprehensible” and “incorrect” and there was “no excuse”. Midway through the session they were “abhorrent”.InterruptionsIf the first-designation plot didn’t spoil the chemistry, Diamond would not have endeared himself to his inquisitors by interrupting their interruptions with the words “This is really vital…” – meaning his mark, not theirs.Enough to constitute you sickMuch of the rest of his evidence was a extended version of “It was dreadful, however don’t blame me”, peppered with corporate speak about “stress tests” and “citizenship” being “one of my four planks”, and a clunking PR-planted expression about feeling “physically ill” when he heard about the Libor scam.’No jerks’ ruleThere was the inevitable odd Americanism – his “no jerks” rule, for example. Diamond clarified this rule to the Times in December: “If someone can’t behave with their colleagues, it doesn’t affair how excellent they are at what they do, they have to be questioned to leave.” Bob DiamondBarclaysBankingBanking reformFinancial sectorJuliette Jowitguardian.co.uk © 2012 Twitter News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Employ of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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