“Nationalised”? I stick to my view. He “personalised” the banks – he made them his own. He could control them from the Auberge de Castille.

I can confirm this having heard it from an old Bormliza many years ago. Her exact description is “kienet tirhan id-deheb”. Mintoff’s father was a cook to the British Services HQ at Castille.

Now that must have been a privileged job and one of trust (feeding the British High Command). I suppose that such a job must have been remunerated accordingly. It could have been one of the reasons why a mother with 9 children to raise could afford to lend money. Besides, she did not run any risks because she would make sure to get the full amount of the loan (plus some extra?) before handing out her money. It’s the equivalent of current banking practice to obtain a full-cover guarantee before issuing the loan.

It was also mentioned during one of the features/discussions running on one of the local TV stations this week that his mother was not one “li taghmlilha l-bzieq fuq imnehiha”. Someone said that he (Mintoff) once remarked that she had a great influence on his character. No wonder that in view of the many facets and anecdotes exposed in your blog he was always reluctant to write his autobiography or memoirs.

When the time comes for a full, unbiased and objective biography to be written about him and his political career I’m sure this blog will be a great source of information and insights.

Time for a repeat of how Mintoff ‘nationalized’ all private banks in Malta, and what it meant.

I would also recommend the saga of the ‘development act’ and the PAPB, and how this country found itself upside down, with self proclaimed have-nots, one of them an untouchable member of the labour party’s ‘bord tad-dixxiplina’, picking out any property they fancied.

These would be the ones who enforced the party’s dictum under Mintoff’s supervision kicking out, literally, any dissent.

David jekk trid konferma, mur staqsi l-anzjani li kienu joqodu fl-inhawi tal-mandragg il-Belt fi zmienha.

Mintoff kellu xi bank tieghu personali?? IL MID MED ta min kien?

[Daphne – Il-Mid Med kien Barclays Bank.]

It’s certainly not a lie. My late grandfather (a contemporary of Mintoff) who was originally from Birgu and knew Mintoff well, told me several times that Mintoff’s mum was a money-lender (usury may be too difficult a word for some Labourites).

My grandfather also told me how Mintoff had obtained a scholarship to study at the seminary but it was revoked once the rector discovered the Mintoff family was relatively well-off. Stinginess does not equate with poverty.

[Daphne – A usurer is defined by the amount of interest charged and the methods used to obtain what is owed, Mel. It has nothing to do with regulation of lending.]

The Blue Sisters were kicked out as part of Mintoff’s war against the medical profession.

Having been locked out of St. Luke’s Hospital (eternal praise be to Danny Cremona) the consultants, particularly the surgeons, had nowhere to earn their living but in a private hospital.

The closing down of the Blue Sisters Hospital was designed to finally bring the doctors to their knees. Most were forced to emigrate, if they had not done so already. Other than the strike breakers, of course.