What is the issue?
A resilient financial system requires a banking sector that is diverse and focussed on sustainable real economy lending. Post-crisis reforms have not gone nearly far enough to deliver this in the UK and serious structural problems remain. Indeed, with memories of the crisis fading and the banking lobby as strong as ever, existing reforms seem more likely to be weakened than strengthened. There is an urgent need for scrutiny of policy and regulatory developments, credible proposals for real reform, and work to build a strong constituency for change.
What will the project try to achieve?
Building on NEF’s existing research in this area, the objectives of the project are two-fold: firstly, to provide independent scrutiny of the implementation of post-crisis reforms and increase the pressure on key decision makers to maintain their integrity; and secondly, to convince policymakers of the need for more radical reform to promote local stakeholder banks, and to develop and advocate for policy solutions in this area.
Who might be interested in this project?
Policymakers, regulators, researchers and civil society organisations with an interest in banking and financial system resilience; local authorities; challenger banks and alternative finance practitioners; representatives of SMEs and other users of banking services.