The Barclays chief executive, CS Venkatakrishnan, has said the Chancellor, John Healey, has the bank's "full support and backing", The Guardian reports. The Guardian says he indicated that bank taxes in the Budget would be "bearable".
Venkatakrishnan told reporters on 22 October:
"I deeply respect the responsibility that the chancellor has and he has our full support and backing."
The word "bearable" is The Guardian's description of his remarks. It does not appear in the quote as reported, and the wider context of what he said has not been independently checked.
His comments stand apart from earlier warnings by bank chiefs that higher bank taxes could drive businesses out of the UK. The Treasury has not confirmed any rise in bank taxes.
Briefs.co, citing Goldman Sachs, reports that an 8% surcharge would cut Barclays' net profit by 2% to 3%, and Lloyds' and NatWest's by 6% to 7%. Goldman said on 15 October that a small increase "would not fundamentally alter the equity story or overall profitability trajectory". The surcharge currently stands at 3% on top of corporation tax.