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☆ Human rights lawyer to political reformer: Who is Keir Starmer, the UK's new would-be prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks ahead of the U.K.'s general election on July 4, 2024. The left-of-center opposition party retains a commanding lead of around 20 points over current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives, according to the latest YouGov poll. But who is Keir Starmer — Labour's leader and the clear favorite to become prime minister after Britain's July 4 election? Starmer also served as a human rights adviser during former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair's Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement. Labour leader Keir Starmer takes a selfie with students after a campaign event at Three Counties Medical School on May 29, 2024.

Persons: Sir Keir Starmer, Anthony Devlin, Rishi Sunak's, Nigel Farage's, Keir Starmer —, Starmer, Margaret Thatcher's, Tony Blair's, Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer, Christopher Furlong Organizations: Labour Party, Getty, Conservative, Britain's Labour Party, Labour, Conservatives, British, National Health Service, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, Shell, Tony Blair's Northern, Service, Counties Medical School, Wealth Fund Locations: London, England, Victoria, EU, Britain

☆ Nigel Farage: The US-style migration debate taking over Britain’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“It’s a bit like God’s waiting room.”But Clacton is the front line of Britain’s migration debate. The Reform leader uses divisive language on migration, warning supporters of what he calls an "invasion" of asylum seekers. Despite years of tough rhetoric and policies aimed at deterring the arrival of asylum seekers – devised largely to placate Farage’s supporters – Britain’s asylum system is creaking. Laws prevent most asylum seekers from working, so while taxpayers fund their accommodation, they cannot contribute formally to the economy. That could widen even further the chasm in understanding between his voters and Britain’s asylum seekers, experts fear.

Persons: ” Danny Botterell, Nigel Farage, BEN STANSALL, Donald Trump, Nigel, ” Botterell, “, Farage, ” Farage, –, Rob Picheta, CNN Britain’s, Rishi Sunak’s, ” Zoe Gardner, “ Farage, “ They’ll, ”, Louise Brockwell, Danny Botterell, David Cameron –, Europe –, Sunak, Cameron, Farage’s, ted Britain’s, France –, ” Gardner, Masood, they’re, ” Masood, Brexit, Douglas Carswell, ” Carswell, ” “ There’s, Carswell, Bob Brace, Farage's, hasn’t, Jack, can’t, you’re, Bridget Tyril, Roy Whitehead, Keir Starmer, “ It’s, they’ve, Karen French, “ I’ve, He’s, James Johnson, Theresa May’s, pollster, Queen Elizabeth II, restauranter Dean Coles, Jehosh, Gardner Organizations: England CNN —, Seagulls, CNN, Getty, Clacton, Labour, Brexit Party, Tories, Jays, Sky News, Times, Home Office, Conservative, UKIP, EU, Brexit, Mississippi Center for Public, John, People, Trump, Downing, Partners, “, Conservatives Locations: Clacton, England, Clacton Pier, Europe, ”, London, “, AFP, United States, Britain, Westminster, India, France, Bibby Stockholm, Kent, Afghanistan, UAE, Essex, Jaywick, It’s France, Netherlands, Germany

☆ UK's populist right-wing party surges in popularity on Brexiteer Nigel Farage's return
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage walks to speak to supporters as he launches his election candidacy at Clacton Pier on June 4, 2024 in Clacton-on-Sea, England. Labour is expected to win 40% of votes to the Conservatives' 19% and Reform's 17%, the online polling showed. Farage's surprise return as Reform leader on Monday dealt a deadly blow to the party, threatening to steal a significant share of votes on the right. In the 2019 election, his then-Brexit Party agreed not to field candidates in hundreds of seats to safeguard a Conservative win. The announcement hurts Sunak's earlier efforts to win right-wing votes by hardening the Tories' stance on migration and the U.K.'s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak's, Farage, — Organizations: Clacton Pier, Reform, Sky News, Labour, Conservatives, Conservative, Brexit, Tories, Brexit Party, European, Human Rights Locations: Clacton, England, London

☆ Trump ally Nigel Farage's return could be an 'extinction event' for the Conservatives ahead of UK election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Honorary President of the Britain's right-wing populist party Reform UK and newly appointed leader Nigel Farage speaks during a campaign meeting, on June 3, 2024, ahead of the UK general election of July 4. Nigel Farage on June 3, 2024 said he would stand as a candidate for the anti-immigration Reform UK party at the UK general election next month, after initially ruling out running. LONDON — The shock return of Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage to the political fray could be the final nail in the coffin for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party ahead of its almost certain defeat in the upcoming U.K. elections. But, critically, it threatens to deprive key votes from the Conservatives, who are already trailing opposition Labour in the polls by a dramatic margin. "Even if Reform don't win seats, they'll drain key votes away from the Conservatives," Olivia O'Sullivan, director of Chatham House's U.K. in the World programme, told CNBC over the phone.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak's, Farage, Donald Trump, —, Olivia O'Sullivan, Tony Blair's, Keir Starmer, Tony Travers Organizations: Reform UK, UK, Conservative Party, U.S, Reform, Brexit Party, Conservatives, Labour, Chatham House's, CNBC, London School of Economics, Party Locations: Clacton, England

☆ Brexit figurehead and Trump ally Nigel Farage to run in UK election after U-turn
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, during a news conference in London, UK, on Monday, June 3, 2024. LONDON — British politician and media personality Nigel Farage, best known for leading the Brexit campaign, announced Monday he would run in the U.K.'s general election next month. Farage had said he would not stand as a parliamentary candidate for his Reform party in order to focus on supporting Donald Trump's U.S. presidential campaign. Farage previously led the UK Independence Party, which rose to prominence in the 2010s on a platform of quitting the European Union, reducing immigration and opposing multiculturalism. This later became the right-wing populist Reform Party under a new leader, while Farage stepped away from politics and focused on media commentary.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Farage, Donald Trump's, —, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer Organizations: Reform, LONDON, UK Independence Party, European Union, UKIP, Brexit Party, Party, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Labour Locations: London, British

☆ UK's data watchdog to review handling of Farage's NatWest privacy complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man walks past ATM machines at branch of the NatWest bank in Manchester, Britain September 21, 2017. Picture taken September 21, 2017. The ICO had found former NatWest CEO Alison Rose infringed Farage's data rights when she discussed his relationship with the bank with a BBC journalist, according to a copy of the ICO decision seen by Reuters and other media on Wednesday. In a statement on Friday, the ICO said Rose had since expressed concerns. An ICO spokesperson reiterated on Friday that the regulator had upheld two parts of Farage's complaint, but did not intend to take further regulatory action for now.

Persons: Phil Noble, Nigel Farage, Alison Rose, Rose, Ms Rose, Iain Withers Organizations: NatWest, REUTERS, ICO, BBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain

A man walks past ATM machines at branch of the NatWest bank in Manchester, Britain September 21, 2017. The bank's shares fell as much as 18% in early trading before closing down 12% - their largest daily drop since the Brexit vote in June, 2016. Farage said in a statement on Friday that he viewed the report as a "whitewash" and its findings "laughable". She added that the review showed she did not leak detailed financial information and had been unaware of "deeply unpleasant and unfair" internal staff comments made about Farage. A NatWest document unearthed by Farage in July found that an internal committee had deemed his views did not align with the bank's own.

Persons: Phil Noble, Nigel Farage, Coutts, Farage, Alison Rose, Travers Smith, Howard Davies, Rose, Mr Farage, Davies, Paul Thwaite, Rick Haythornthwaite, Iain Withers, Lawrence White, Samuel Indyk, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: NatWest, REUTERS, Financial Conduct Authority, Barclays, Rival, Lloyds, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain

☆ UK watchdog finds potential NatWest 'regulatory breaches' in Farage fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Signage is seen for the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK's financial regulatory body, at their head offices in London, Britain March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - British watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority said on Friday that it had identified potential "regulatory breaches" in NatWest's handling of a decision to close former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage's accounts. NatWest said it would disclose a decision on whether to dock its former CEO Alison Rose's pay over the matter "as soon as possible". "This report, and additional information we have considered, has highlighted potential regulatory breaches and a number of areas for improvement," the FCA said in a statement, adding it was reviewing the firm's governance, systems and controls. Reporting by Carolyn Cohn and Iain Withers, editing by Lawrence WhiteOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Nigel Farage's, Farage, Alison Rose's, Travers Smith, Alison Rose, Carolyn Cohn, Iain Withers, Lawrence White Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, British, NatWest, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ NatWest admits 'serious failings' in Nigel Farage incident; shares slide after earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of NatWest, a retail unit of RBS, outside a bank branch in London, U.K., on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesTrading in NatWest shares was briefly suspended on Friday morning as the stock slid after a combination of lacklustre earnings and regulators flagging possible rule-breaking in a highly mediatized case. NatWest CEO Alison Rose then admitted to discussing Farage's bank account with a BBC reporter, supplying information that was used in a story and later proved to be inaccurate. Alison Rose, NatWest chief executive, (right) departs 10 Downing Street in London, after meeting with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. NatWest Group Chairman Howard Davies said the report "sets out a number of serious failings in the treatment of Mr Farage."

Persons: Simon Dawson, Coutts, Nigel Farage, Farage, Alison Rose, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, James Manning, Howard Davies, Mr Farage, Davies Organizations: NatWest, RBS, Bloomberg, Getty, Trading, Authority, NatWest Group, BBC Locations: London

☆ NatWest ex-CEO infringed data rights of former Brexit party leader Farage, ICO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Britain's data watchdog said on Wednesday that former NatWest CEO Alison Rose infringed Nigel Farage's data rights when she discussed the former Brexit party leader's relationship with the bank with a BBC journalist. "We fully co-operate with the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) in its assessment of any customer complaint but it would not be appropriate for us to comment on this individual case," a NatWest spokesperson said. The ICO said in its response to Farage's complaint about the incident, seen by Reuters, that in its view Rose shared "misleading information" and that Farage's rights were infringed as a result. Farage welcomed the response and said NatWest should cut Rose's notice pay and bonuses. "It would be an outrage if she walked away with a huge sum of money," Farage said on television channel GB News.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alison Rose, Nigel, Coutts, Rose, Farage, Travers, Iain Withers, David Gregorio, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: NatWest, REUTERS, BBC, ICO, Reuters, Financial Times, Natwest, Thomson

☆ NatWest weighs clawing back bonus from former CEO Rose
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of NatWest Bank, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland group is seen outside a branch in Enfield, London Britain November 15, 2017. Rose stepped down on July 25 after admitting to a "serious error of judgment" in discussing Farage's relationship with NatWest-owned Coutts with a BBC journalist. Natwest said Rose would continue to earn a fixed salary and fixed share awards totalling 2.4 million pounds ($3.03 million), and pension contributions worth 10%, in line with her 12-month notice period and pending the outcome of the inquiry. "Like other employees where an investigation outcome is pending, Alison is currently receiving her fixed pay," a NatWest spokesperson said. The lender will pay new CEO Paul Thwaite 1.05 million pounds ($1.39 million) in fixed salary, just below the 1.16 million it paid Rose, in addition to a fixed share allowance of about 1.1 million pounds, NatWest said.

Persons: John Sibley, Alison Rose, Nigel Farage's, Rose, Coutts, Alison, Farage, Rose's, Paul Thwaite, Chandini, Lawrence White, Sinead Cruise, Sharon Singleton Organizations: NatWest Bank, Royal Bank of, Enfield , London Britain, REUTERS, NatWest, BBC, Natwest, Thomson Locations: Enfield , London, Bengaluru, London

☆ HSBC CEO on Farage-Coutts spat: 'We do not exit clients based on their lawful personal views'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

HSBC's U.K. headquarters are seen at the Canary Wharf financial district of London on July 31, 2018. Although refusing to discuss details of other banks and their clients, HSBC boss Quinn told CNBC on Tuesday that "our policy is not to de-bank or exit a client based on their lawful personal views." "We also have a responsibility as an institution to look at any areas of financial crime compliance or we have an obligation to collect information on KYC (Know Your Customer), so we have those competing obligations but to reiterate, as a policy we do not exit clients based on their lawful personal views." The closure of Farage's account triggered a heated debate in the U.K. and rocked the domestic banking industry. NatWest CEO Alison Rose was forced to resign, after she admitted discussing details of Farage's Coutts account with a BBC reporter in the wake of his allegations.

Persons: Tolga Akmen, Noel Quinn, Coutts, Nigel Farage's, Farage, Coutts —, —, Quinn, Alison Rose, Farage's Coutts, Peter Flavel, Rishi Sunak, Jonathan Bachman Organizations: AFP, Getty, LONDON, HSBC, Trump, NatWest Group, CNBC, NatWest, BBC, Brexit Party, UKIP Locations: London, U.K

☆ UK financial watchdog urges NatWest chair to stay put
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - The chairman of NatWest (NWG.L) Howard Davies should remain in office to ensure stability for the bank, a senior official at Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Monday. "I agree with his view that it's important to have stability at NatWest and that having a chair remain in place will help support that," Mills told reporters. Davies said he intended to stay on at the bank for now - after also facing calls to resign. "The FCA position is that ultimately it's a decision for the board and its shareholders. We urge those shareholders and board to achieve stability," Mills said.

Persons: Howard Davies, Sheldon Mills, Andrew Griffith, Davies, Alison Rose, Mills, Rose, Nigel Farage's, Huw Jones Organizations: NatWest, Britain's, Authority, FCA, BBC, Thomson

"The culture wars are coming to UK businesses, including the financial sector," said Andre Spicer, dean of City University's Bayes Business School. It also cited "risk factors including... controversial public statements which were felt to conflict with the bank's purpose". However, data from watchdog the Financial Ombudsman Service showed complaints about account closures represented a tiny fraction of a bank's overall customer base. Experts say other banks will now be scrambling to ensure their own policies and committees are behaving appropriately, to avoid further scandals. The CEO of Britain's biggest domestic bank Lloyds said on Wednesday the bank's own policies did not include looking at customers' political or personal beliefs.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Coutts, Andre Spicer, Howard Davies, Alison Rose, Rose, Peter Flavel, Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth II, Spicer, Harriet Baldwin, Bill Winters, Samuel Gregg, Banks, Gregg, University's Spicer, Rupert Younger, ", Sinead Cruise, Iain Withers, Lawrence White, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Brexit Party, NatWest, Bayes Business School, Coutts, Treasury, Bank of England, BBC, Standard Chartered, Farage, American Institute for Economic Research, Facebook, Financial, Service, Barclays, Lloyds, Centre, Oxford University's Said Business School, Thomson Locations: America

[1/2] A man walks past ATM machines at branch of the NatWest bank in Manchester, Britain September 21, 2017. Davies said he intended to stay at the bank for now and confirmed for the first time on Friday that political pressure had played a part in Rose's exit. "The political reaction to retaining Alison as CEO was such that her position was untenable," he told reporters. NatWest reported pre-tax profit of 3.6 billion pounds ($4.6 billion) for the period, compared to 2.6 billion pounds the prior year and above the 3.3 billion pound average of analyst forecasts compiled by the bank. NatWest booked a 233 million pounds charge for potential loan defaults - compared to the release of 54 million pounds last year - and lowered its net interest margin forecast for the year to below 3.2%, with an expectation of it hitting 3.15%.

Persons: Phil Noble, Davies, Nigel Farage's, Rose, Howard Davies, Alison Rose, Nigel Farage, Coutts, Peter Flavel, Alison, We've, NatWest's, Paul Thwaite, Thwaite, Iain Withers, Lawrence White, Sinead Cruise, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: NatWest, REUTERS, Rose NatWest, BBC, Reuters, Rivals Barclays, Lloyds, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, Britain's, Rose's

Davies said he intended to stay on at the bank for now - after also facing calls to resign - and confirmed for the first time that political pressure forced the board's hand in Rose's exit. "The political reaction to that was such... that her position was then untenable," he told reporters. Britain's finance ministry said the decision for Rose to depart was made by her and the bank's board. "The NatWest board is responsible for the bank's strategic and operational management," a Treasury spokesperson said. ($1 = 0.7820 pounds)Reporting by Iain Withers and Lawrence White, editing by Sinead Cruise and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Davies, Nigel Farage's, Rose, Howard Davies, Alison Rose, Nigel Farage, Coutts, Peter Flavel, We've, Alison, Travers Smith, Paul Thwaite, Iain Withers, Lawrence White, Sinead Cruise, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: NatWest, Rose NatWest, BBC, Treasury, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Britain's, Rose's, Britain

☆ NatWest reports profit rise amid fallout from Farage fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A sign outside a NatWest Group Plc bank branch in the City of London, UK, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Natwest is due to report first-half results on Friday, July 28. NatWest reported pre-tax profit of £3.6 billion ($4.6 billion) for the period, compared to £2.6 billion the prior year and above the £3.3 billion average of analyst forecasts compiled by the bank. NatWest remains under pressure over the Farage scandal. NatWest is nearly 40% taxpayer-owned following its bailout during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, adding more weight to the government's position.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Nigel Farage, Alison Rose, Coutts, Rose, Peter Flavel, Paul Thwaite, Howard Davies, Thwaite Organizations: NatWest Group, City of, Natwest, Bloomberg, Getty, NatWest, BBC, Reuters, Rivals Barclays, Lloyds, Barclays Locations: City, City of London, Britain

The ousting of Flavel is one of the first actions taken by NatWest's interim CEO Paul Thwaite, after the group's former CEO Alison Rose quit on Wednesday over the same matter. NatWest has faced intense scrutiny over the decision by Coutts to sever ties with Farage. An internal review obtained by the politician-turned-TV show host showed Coutts' wealth reputational risk committee had said his values did not align with the bank's own. Australian-born Flavel, who previously served as CEO of JPMorgan Private Wealth Management in Asia Pacific region, took the top job at Coutts in 2016. Mohammad Kamal Syed will step into the role of interim CEO of Coutts and NatWest's wealth businesses, Thwaite said, adding that Flavel was stepping down by "mutual consent".

Persons: Coutts, Peter Flavel, Nigel Farage's, Flavel, Paul Thwaite, Alison Rose, Rose, she'd, Farage, Howard Davies, Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth II, Mohammad Kamal Syed, Thwaite, Iain Withers, Sinead Cruise, Lawrence White Organizations: NatWest, BBC, Reuters, JPMorgan Private Wealth Management, Thomson Locations: Asia Pacific

Still, money market traders are split on the odds of another increase later in the year.FEDWATCH"The 25 basis point rise is a done deal. "The risk is that the Fed, looking at market bullishness, may not want to sound too dovish - they may want to keep the door open for more rate hikes." The MSCI world equity index (.MIWD00000PUS), which tracks shares in 47 countries, was flat. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index (.HSI) was down 0.3% and China's blue chip CSI300 index (.CSI300) was off 0.2%. Positive sentiment had returned to China's market on Tuesday, when the CSI 300 Index snapped a six-day losing streak.

Persons: Luca Paolini, Alison Rose, Nigel Farage's, We're, David Chao, Tom Wilson, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed, Kim Coghill Organizations: Fed, Federal, Pictet Asset Management, NatWest, BBC, Lloyds, CSI, ECB, Brent, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, U.S, Germany, France, Britain, CHINA, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, London, Sydney

☆ NatWest CEO resigns after admitting to 'serious error' over Nigel Farage leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

NatWest CEO Alison Rose on Wednesday stepped down with immediate effect after she admitted a "serious error of judgment" in discussing former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage's relationship with the bank with a senior BBC journalist. The board appointed Paul Thwaite to helm NatWest for an initial period of 12 months, the company said in a statement. "The board and Alison Rose have agreed, by mutual consent, that she will step down as CEO of the NatWest Group," Howard Davies, chairman of the board, said. Coutts' website advises its clients should be able to borrow or invest at least 1 million pounds with the bank or hold 3 million pounds in savings. Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it had urged the NatWest board to review the matter independently and welcomed its statement.

Persons: Alison Rose, Nigel Farage's, Paul Thwaite, Howard Davies, Coutts, Rose, Farage, Peter Flavel, NatWest's Davies, Davies, Rose —, Simon Jack, Jack, Sheldon Mills, Andrew Griffith Organizations: NatWest, BBC, NatWest Group, BBC Business, Authority, Treasury, Reuters, Government Investments

☆ A CEO quits and the BBC apologizes to Trump ally Nigel Farage. A banking scandal erupts in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Alison Rose, NatWest chief executive, (right) departs 10 Downing Street in London, after meeting with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several members of his Conservative government issued statements condemning the bank and characterizing the termination of Farage's account as an affront to free speech. Farage was offered an alternative account at regular main street bank NatWest, but declined. His critics maintain that although frequent references are made to Farage's political profile and controversial views, the reasons outlined for allowing the banking relationship to lapse were primarily commercial, and he was not "de-banked" as he claims. Without the mortgage, the bank indicated that Farage's account value would fall below its commercial criteria.

Persons: Jonathan Bachman, Alison Rose, Nigel, Coutts, Rose, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Farage, Coutts —, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, James Manning, Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage, —, DANIEL LEAL, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Frances Coppola, Coppola, Dave Rushen Organizations: Getty, LONDON, NatWest, BBC, UBS, Conservative, Brexit Party, Independence Party Leader, U.K, Independence Party, UKIP, Sky News, NatWest Group, Company Locations: London, U.K, inclusivity, Leicester, British

☆ Government’s NatWest meddling crosses risky line
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Meddling ministers crossed a line, and may struggle to retreat back onto the right side of it. Its shares fell a modest 3% on Wednesday morning – compared with 1% on average for Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L), Barclays (BARC.L) and Virgin Money UK (VMUK.L). Rose’s strategy of cutting costs, continuing to scale back risky trading and focusing on core UK retail banking was working. Britain’s Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrew Griffith said on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, that “it is right that the NatWest CEO has resigned”. Domestic rivals Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Virgin Money UK were down 2% on average.

Persons: Alison Rose, Rose, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Nigel Farage, Andrew Griffith, Coutts, aren’t, Nigel Farage's, Paul Thwaite, George Hay, Pranav Kiran, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Economic, NatWest, BBC, Royal Bank of Scotland’s, UK Government Investments, . Mortgage, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, Virgin Money, Lloyds, Domestic, Thomson Locations: NatWest’s

NatWest lifer Rose climbed up the ranks over more than three decades from graduate trainee to boardroom, becoming the first woman to run one of Britain's major banks. "You can be a hero one day, a zero the next, as Alison Rose has found out." Davies lamented the "sad moment" while Rose paid tribute to colleagues who had helped her build solid foundations for the bank, in a statement accompanying the news. RBS TO NATWESTRose succeeded Ross McEwan as CEO of NatWest in 2019, becoming the lender's first female boss. But under Rose's supervision, the bank became one of Britain's biggest participants in government-designed loan schemes to keep ailing businesses afloat.

Persons: Alison Rose, Nigel Farage, NatWest lifer Rose, Coutts, Rishi Sunak, Rupert Younger, Rose, Howard Davies, Rose's, Davies, Charlie Nunn, Farage, impinging, NATWEST Rose, Ross McEwan, McEwan, Stephen Hester, Fred Goodwin, Lawrence White, Conor Humphries Organizations: NatWest's, Brexit Party, NatWest, Oxford University's, Lloyds Banking Group, Britain's, RBS, NATWEST, Royal Bank of Scotland, Thomson Locations: Europe, Westminster, Britain

NatWest has faced intense political and media scrutiny over a decision by its private bank Coutts to close Farage's accounts. In a post on the X social media platform on Wednesday, Farage called for further heads to roll in the wake of Rose's resignation. On Tuesday, Farage said on his eponymous TV show that Rose was "unfit" to run a bank. She realised that her comments had left Jack with the impression that the decision to close Farage's accounts was solely a commercial one, Rose said in the statement. Rose also said she was not part of the decision-making process to "exit" Farage's accounts and said this was a decision made by Coutts.

Persons: Alison Rose, Nigel Farage's, Paul Thwaite, Coutts, Farage, Rose, Simon Jack, Howard Davies, Davies, Peter Flavel, Jack, NatWest's, Sheldon Mills, Andrew Griffith, Iain Withers, Sinead Cruise, Urvi, Juby Babu, Simon Jessop, Mark Potter, Edwina Gibbs, Louise Heavens Organizations: NatWest, BBC, BBC Business, UK Treasury, Reuters, Government Investments, Authority, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ UK tightens rules over bank account closures after 'debanking' criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - Banks in Britain will be forced to explain and delay any decision to close an account under new rules announced by the finance ministry on Thursday. "The government has stepped in to address fears that banks are terminating accounts because they disagree with someone’s political beliefs," the Treasury said in a statement. On Wednesday, the Financial Conduct Authority said it was talking to NatWest about the handling of Farage's accounts. Under the new rules, banks will need to explain any closure and customers will be given more time - 90 days - to challenge a decision through the Financial Ombudsman Service, or find a replacement bank, the Treasury said. Reporting by William James, Editing by Kylie MacLellanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Banks, Andrew Griffith, William James, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: Treasury, Financial, Authority, NatWest, Financial Ombudsman Service, Thomson Locations: Banks, Britain

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