It is very sad watching Barclays being torn apart by scandal and recrimination.
Of course, the wrong-doers in this latest sorry farce to hit the banking industry need to be dragged kicking and screaming to account.
Mission has been a Barclays Business banking customer since the company was founded nine years ago.
I can honestly say that Mission wouldn’t be here if not for the support and encouragement of my bank manager at the Barclays branch in Oxford Street.
My heart goes out to her and the other 140,000 staff at Barclays who work diligently on behalf of their customers and who must be feeling horrible right now thanks to the actions of a very small group of individuals.
I side with Boris Johnson on this one. Barclays should be a pillar of the UK economy and now is not the time to twist the knife. Yes, boot out the rotten apples. By all means throw them in jail – that is where they deserve to be. But don’t run away aghast from Barclays unless you want to punish the branch managers and all the other ‘footsoldiers’ at the company who have done nothing to deserve the scorn that is pouring down around their heads.
This week it is Barclays. Who knows who it is going to be next week. This scandal is going to run for a very long time. And I would wager that the emptying of bank boardrooms is going to run hand in hand with a few choice sackings in Westminster as well.
Nicola Stephenson
