Overview

• NatWest, formerly RBS, was bailed out with £46 billion of taxpayer funds during the 2008 financial crisis, leaving the UK government with an 84% stake.
• The government has gradually reduced its stake, which now stands at just under 11%, aided by NatWest’s recent £1 billion share buyback.
• CEO Paul Thwaite stated that absent major economic disruptions, the bank could return to full private ownership as early as the first half of 2025.
• Labour scrapped a previous plan to sell shares directly to the public, opting instead for gradual sales into the open market to capitalize on rising share prices.
• Thwaite emphasized that full privatization would allow the bank to focus on its future and growth, closing a chapter on its bailout-era legacy.