An Ideal Job for Putin

He has a strong personal brand, undimmed self-belief, a devoted public following, a distinctive balding pate and – unlike Adam Applegarth – plentiful experience of bringing private-sector assets gently under the wing of the state.” Such is the case made by Andrew Hill at the FT that Vladimir Putin would be an ideal candidate for Ron Sandler to select to head up the newly nationalized UK bank Northern Rock. Naturally, we strongly disagree with Hill’s contention that the assets were “gently” brought under state control…