It is the decisions of parliament that have led to banks’ unruly behaviour. Parliament deregulated lending and rents, and allowed the free movement of capital in and out of the UK. It was as if Moses flipped, went back up Mount Sinai and deregulated the Ten Commandments in the name of freedom, and was then puzzled by the increase in theft. Better political leadership and the implementation of rules that enable markets to function in the interests of us all seem long overdue.

Rev Paul Nicolson
Chair, Zacchaeus 2000 Trust