Mark Carney has just been accused by Brexiteer Daniel Hannan of behaving like a “rock star banker”
Conservative MEP for South East England Daniel Hannan has criticised Mark Carney for acting like "a rock star banker" on BBC Radio 4.
On the Today programme this morning, Hannan, who has been a long-term supporter of Brexit and a long-term critic of Carney (who warned of the consequences should Britain leave the EU) said: "If you do stay, it's important to comport yourself as a quiet and discreet public servant who errs on the side of saying too little."
Carney took over as governor in June 2013 for an eight-year term, with an option to leave after five years. The Bank of England governor has said he will make his decision public by the end of the year as to how long he will stay at the bank, but speculation heightened over the weekend.
First The Times said Carney looked set to leave in 2018, then the FT said Carney was intending to stay longer. The governor's decision could be announced as soon as Thursday when the Bank of England unveils its inflation report. A Bank of England spokesman told Morning Wire that "nothing has changed".
While Hannan wouldn't repeat previous statements made on Twitter saying Carney should resign, he said today it was "up to" Carney whether to stay on or not. He added if the governor does stay, it should be on the basis he's not "the rock star banker" who tells Scotland whether to stay in Britain, but "rather, sticks narrowly to his brief".
I am sorry to say this – he seems a nice enough fellow – but Mark Carney should indeed resign. He politicised his office inexcusably.
— Daniel Hannan (@DanielJHannan) October 29, 2016
He said it would be "unimaginable that you would've had Mervyn King or Eddie George intervening across a range of political issues in the way that he [Carney] has".