The chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland today revealed he has asked the bank's former chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin to voluntarily hand back some of his controversial pension package or give it to charity, ahead of calling for an end to the "public flogging" of RBS in a speech he will deliver to the bank's shareholders this afternoon.

RBS chairman Philip Hampton will tell shareholders at the bank's annual meeting today: "I do understand that many shareholders will wish to vote against or abstain on the advisory vote on the remuneration report to register their strong disapproval of the pension arrangements of our former chief executive...Legal advice is being taken about whether the decision that was reached can be revisited.