Ex-Barclays banker's sexist comments about Amanda Staveley released

Former UK Finance chief apologises to businesswoman after telephone transcripts revealed by high court

A top City banker questioned whether businesswoman Amanda Staveley was sleeping with Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, calling her thick as shit" and commenting on the size of her breasts, after she took part in talks to save Barclays from a public bailout in 2008.

The comments by Stephen Jones were detailed in telephone transcripts released by the high court on Thursday and were recorded when he worked in the bank's investment banking division. Last month he resigned as chief executive of the banking lobby group UK Finance, just weeks before the comments were due to be revealed as part of the court case brought by Staveley over the terms of the emergency fundraising deal.