Nigel Farage has broken his silence following the resignation of NatWest boss Dame Alison Rose claiming the decision is a ‘start’ but added ‘the whole Board needs to go’.
Dame Rose stepped down last night as chief executive effective immediately after admitting to being the source of the BBC’s incorrect story about a ‘de-banking’ row between Nigel Farage and Coutts.
The board of NatWest Group held emergency talks into the night on her future after she apologised for her ‘serious error of judgment’ in speaking to the broadcaster’s business editor Simon Jack about the bank’s treatment of the former Ukip leader.
Bosses at the bank, which is 39 per cent owned by the government, were locked in a power struggle after NatWest chairman Sir Howard Davies criticised her ‘regrettable’ action but said yesterday the bank’s board had ‘full confidence’ in her.
But Dame Alison resigned in an embarrassing u-turn early this morning after pressure was piled on the beleaguered banking boss by No 10 and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt who briefed of their ‘significant concerns’ about her keeping her post.
Responding to the climbdown this morning, Farage hit out at the banking group, calling for others to go. He said: ‘Anybody on that Board that backed that statement that was put out at 17.42 yesterday, a totally unsustainable and untrue statement, anybody that backed that behaviour, should be gone.’
Howard Davies, chairman of the NatWest Group Board, 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. It is a sad moment.
‘She has dedicated all her working life so far to NatWest and will leave many colleagues who respect and admire her.’
Dame Alison said: ‘I remain immensely proud of the progress the bank has made in supporting people, families and business across the UK, and building the foundations for sustainable growth.
‘My NatWest colleagues are central to that success, and so I would like to personally thank them for all that they have done.’
NatWest’s board of directors also announced that Paul Thwaite, the current chief executive of the company’s Commercial and Institutional business, will take over Dame Alison’s responsibilities for an initial period of 12 months, pending regulatory approval.
The board said in a statement that a further process to appoint a permanent successor will take place ‘in due course’.
