The resignation of NatWest's CEO, Dame Alison Rose, has raised concerns about political interference in the banking sector.
The government cut ties with Rose due to her role in the backlash against de-banking.
Rose's fate was sealed when the PM and chancellor expressed significant concerns about her conduct.
Rose's conversation with the BBC's business editor, Simon Jack, at a charity dinner ultimately led to her ousting.
Jack reported that
Nigel Farage had been dumped by Coutts for political reasons, but the bank's 40-page report painted a different picture.
The report raised concerns about Farage's political views and suggested that he was a "disingenuous grifter." Farage had claimed that he was dumped by Coutts due to his caustic political views, but the bank's report called that claim into question.
The report also raised the possibility that Rose had discussed confidential customer information with a journalist.
This raised concerns about data privacy and whether Rose had disclosed financial information to Jack.
Rose's defense was that she did not know about the Coutts dossier when she spoke to Jack and had only been told that he was being dumped for commercial reasons.
She also insisted that she did not disclose any financial information to Jack and spoke only about what she believed was already on the public record.
However, her defense was seen as thin and her position was left in the hands of ministers.
The chairman of NatWest, Sir Howard Davies, did not check with No10 or the Treasury before endorsing Rose's position.
This has raised concerns about whether the bank's directors were truly representing the taxpayers' interests as shareholders.
The appearance of political vetting by banks has caused concern among ministers and MPs, many of whom share Farage's view that it is evidence of "woke" culture in British institutions.
This perception may be the consequence of banks' attempts to demonstrate greater social purpose in the wake of the financial crisis.
The resignation of Rose and the concerns surrounding her dismissal highlight the delicate balance between the role of banks in the economy and their responsibilities to the public.
It remains to be seen how the government will respond to these developments and whether they will take steps to In a recent development, the BBC has apologized to
Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, for wrongly reporting that he had been refused a bank account by Coutts, a private bank.
The apology came after Coutts, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Scotland, released a dossier detailing its reasons for terminating Farage's account, which included concerns about his association with a controversial political figure and the potential reputational risk to the bank.
Farage has accused Coutts of "political bias" and "betrayal," alleging that the bank had initially assured him that his account would not be affected by its association with former UKIP figures.
However, Coutts maintains that its decision was based on commercial considerations and reputational risk, and that it had apologized to Farage twice for its processes and the behavior of Dame Alison Cox, the former CEO of Coutts.
Farage has accused Dame Alison of being "desperate to get rid of me" and has called for her to resign.
He has also accused the Chancellor and Prime Minister of intervening more aggressively in this issue than in cases of more egregious wrongdoing by other banks, such as NatWest.
Under Dame Alison, NatWest recorded its largest profits since 2008, making it easier for the state to sell down its stake.
However, the search for a successor may slow down that process.
Meanwhile, Farage has accumulated more apologies than bank accounts, and he is reportedly seeking to add more scalps to his list, starting with Sir Howard and the NatWest board.