NatWest chair vows to stay on to provide ‘stability’ after Farage controversy

NatWest’s shares recovered some ground on Friday, rising 3% by mid-afternoon. That followed a 4.5% drop over the 48 hours after Alison Rose’s exit. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty

The NatWest chair, Sir Howard Davies, has said he is to stay in post to restore “stability” and ensure and “orderly transition”, quelling speculation the embattled high street lender was set to lose a third senior figure over the Nigel Farage banking row.

Davies announced the appointment of an external law firm to review the closure of Farage’s accounts at Coutts, the private bank owned by NatWest.