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

Sir Howard Davies planning orderly transition' as bank hires lawyers to investigate account closures

• Nils Pratley: It will be surprising if Davies hasn't gone by Christmas
• NatWest to pay UK government 190m as Farage crisis rocks bank

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. The review will look into the information Dame Alison Rose shared with a BBC reporter that led to her shock resignation as chief executive in the early hours of Wednesday. The Coutts chief executive, Peter Flavel, stepped down a day later.