Nationalisation of Northern Rock In October 2008 the chairman Ron Sandler noted that there had been informal talks concerning the idea of the merger with the government, but there had been no subsequent discussion. Sandler did however add "It would not surprise me at some point if a closer look was taken at the method of managing loan books within government-owned banks". In March 2009 Alistair Darling said that he was keeping his options open during the "fast-moving" crisis in the banking industry, and thus not ruling out the possibility of a mortgage book merger between Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley. On 24
Chairman of the Presidium of Pridnestrovia created the Pridnestrovian Moldovan SSR also expressed the will of the delegates that Igor Smirnov, heretofore chairman of the Tiraspol city soviet, lead the Supreme Soviet as its chairman. With the passing of the Soviet Union, whose government never recognized the PMSSR as a constituent republic, the now Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic (PMR) was reorganized into a presidential republic. The Supreme Soviet survived as the legislative organ of government. However, in this new arrangement the Presidium was absent, its powers going to the republic’s new executive branch, the office of the president. On 3 December 1991, Igor Smirnov won an election