Plans to give the new City watchdog beefed up powers to ban and fine disgraced former bankers blamed for the worst financial crisis in living memory are expected by the end of the month. The news will offer hope to millions who have suffered as a direct result of the crash and want the executives at banks bailed out with billions of pounds in taxpayers’ money to be held to account. The Treasury is expected to outline a series of measures, which could include enabling the Financial Conduct Authority – which will replace the Financial Services Authority next year – to ban former bank bosses for the reckless decisions which led to the near collapse of Northern Rock, Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS.

It follows the failure of the FSA to satisfy a thirst for justice, with just three disgraced former bank bosses hit with a ban since the collapse of Northern Rock in 2007. The proposals come as Business Secretary Vince Cable decides whether to go after the former bosses at Royal Bank of Scotland, which was bailed out with £45.5billion of taxpayers’ money in 2008.....Read more here: CITY FOCUS: New city watchdog is to bite back at offenders