Public opinion is sharply divided over bonus culture in the wake of the credit crunch, according to an opinion poll from Financial Times/Harris.
Continental Europeans believe bonuses should form a smaller part of executive pay in the future but the British and Americans are against the idea. Between 65 and 79 per cent of Germans, French, Italians and Spanish favour a smaller role for bonuses. But only about a third of people in the US and UK support such a move, with about the same number opposing it.
The poll findings underline starkly different views on reforming executive pay in spite of widespread disgust at the behaviour of business leaders in the financial and economic crises.