German economic minister Philipp Roesler on Friday floated a European "bourse tax" as a compromise to a wide-ranging financial transactions tax (FTT) that would hit London harder than other European financial centres and make the City less attractive as a global business centre. Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman called the idea "sensible". Speaking ahead of Monday's eurozone financial ministers summit, he said: "[Mr Roesler] is looking at all possibilities for getting the UK on board... We need to find out in talks whether a bourse tax could be a bridge for the UK, then Germany will discuss this with its ... (full story)