Financial Institutions: Government Shareholding

On 30 May 2025, the government sold its remaining shares in NatWest Group (formerly Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS), bringing to an end the public ownership of banks resulting from the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.

It is not government policy to pursue state ownership of firms in the financial services sector. The government provided support to RBS, as part of a series of interventions in the financial sector, to protect ordinary savers and businesses from the collapse of a bank which was vital to the functioning of the UK economy and financial system.

With the original policy objective - to preserve financial and economic stability at a time of crisis – achieved, returning NatWest to the private sector was the right choice for both taxpayers and the bank, helping to promote financial stability and a more competitive banking sector in the UK.

Regarding the resilience of the sector, since the global financial crisis, the government has successfully implemented reforms to strengthen the ability to manage bank failures safely, and to do so in a way that protects the wider economy and minimises the need for taxpayer support. In addition, the development of a more robust regulatory framework since the financial crisis has helped strengthen the resilience and stability of both individual firms and the wider financial system.