Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1999/07/19/how_does_the_uk_conceal/

How does the UK conceal its Y2K problems?

It should be a scandal, but you know what Brits are like...

By Mike Magee

Posted in On-Prem, 19th July 1999 20:57 GMT

Opinion Last week, Don Cruickshank, appointed by PM Tony Blair to look after the Y2K problem after Oftel didn't want him, made some bold statements. According to Cruckshank, there were between six and eight "financial services" companies which were not year 2000 compliant. The UK national newspapers, we are told, repeatedly asked him which banks would have a problem. He refused to answer. Over the weekend, Cruickshank and his organisation said they did not want to name the guilty parties because, said a spokesperson, "there might be a run on the banks". There should be. Cruickshank's statement is, of course, typical Britspeak and quite frankly it is appalling. It could not happen anywhere than in Britain and there should be runs on the so-far unnamed banks... Which ones are they? If major UK banks are not year 2000 compliant, shouldn't the common people know? But in typical Britspeak, we, the people with mortgages and investments, are not allowed to know. Could this happen anywhere than in Britain? We doubt it. Cruickshank should be brought to book so we can withdraw our monies and put them somewhere else, for example in US, French and German banks... ®