Nicky Campbell backs the bankers in Radio 5 argument

There was a heated exchange on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning as two heavyweights went head-to-head over banking bonuses and the prime minister's pay. The twist was that it didn't feature anyone from outside the corporation, involving a frank exchange of views between breakfast co-presenter Nicky Campbell and business editor, Robert Peston. It all began when Peston said the 22,000 employees of Barclays Capital investment bank, with an average pay of £191,000 each, earn a tiny bit less than the prime minister. Click forward to 1 hour and 52 minutes to hear for yourself, but while you do that, here are the edited highlights. Nicky Campbell: "He gets more than that, Robert." Robert Peston: "All right, all right, all right, all right." NC: "He gets over a million, it's a myth." RP: "Are we being distracted?" NC: "Everyone says it though." RP: "Hang on a second. If we can compare like with like I can take you on. Nicky has decided he is the bankers' chum..." NC: "How much would it cost to rent Downing Street for a year, that's all I'm saying..." Ding ding! And then Campbell's co-host Shelagh Fogarty stepped in to separate them. We'll call it a draw. Look forward to the rematch.