Bankers are everyone’s favourite scapegoats these days. So in a spirit of camaraderie and contrarianism, I became one this autumn.
In truth all I did was accept a non-executive directorship at Metro Bank. Metro is a high-profile new retail concept imported from the US, aiming to provide better service than our incumbent high street banks. I accepted the role because I felt it would be an educational experience.
In one sense, the trade is very simple. As the founder, billionaire Vernon Hill, puts it: “We take deposits and make loans.” But from there it starts to get complicated. In particular, banking must now be about the most highly regulated industry known to man, except perhaps for nuclear power generation.