RBS is ours. So let's stop this annual festival of bribery | Simon Jenkins

Bonus culture has become so warped that bankers presiding over losses of £8bn still think they deserve a reward

Bear with me while I get this straight. A bonus is payment for work above and beyond what is covered by a salary. To a modern bank, "above and beyond" does not mean an excess of kindness to a client. It means an excess of profits to the bank.

This week, Ross McEwan, chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, and his eight top executives stepped forward to "fore...