Author Archives: Adrian Kamellard

Adrian Kamellard

The Independent View: The innovation revolution: How small banks and building societies are playing a significant part in creating competition through innovation.

By Adrian Kamellard | Thu 15th May 2014 - 12:30 pm

Obama taking donations via Square mobile payment systemUp and down the country there are small but significant banks and building societies playing an important part in the day-to-day lives of customers and businesses. Yet they are not only helping customers locally, they are also changing the way we bank. The Cumberland Building Society will be familiar to Westmorland and Lonsdale’s Tim Farron MP, and despite a relatively small customer base compared to the traditional big banks, it is leading from the front when it comes to payments innovation and technology, offering …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged , and | 4 Comments
Adrian Kamellard

The Independent View: Will competition and choice open up the banking sector for the better?

By Adrian Kamellard | Wed 18th September 2013 - 1:08 pm

Credits CardsIn light of the launch of this week’s Current Account Switching Scheme, the Liberal Democrat conference was well timed to ask at a fringe meeting: “Will competition and choice open up the banking sector?”

In short, the scheme guarantees that anyone who wishes to move their current bank account to another institution will be able to do so hassle-free in seven working days. No burden is placed on the customer and it is all underpinned by a seven-day guarantee. This is real progress from the previous 30-day process and importantly the lack of a guarantee that often saw customers doing the legwork themselves. I hope to see positive effects of the changes in the months to come.

Continue reading »
Posted in Conference and The Independent View | Tagged and | 2 Comments
Adrian Kamellard

The Independent View: How the Payments Council is delivering a payments system for all

By Adrian Kamellard | Mon 15th April 2013 - 11:55 am

Since the beginning of the financial crisis there has been real appetite for reform into how our financial sector works and how we want it to operate. The Liberal Democrats have played an important part in this, both from within Government as well as from the backbenches.

During its time in office, the Coalition has already introduced a Financial Services Act into law and is currently legislating for a Banking Reform Bill. In addition, there is also the ongoing Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, which I appeared in front of in late January.

Not only is Danny Alexander ensuring the Party’s view …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged , and | 4 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Pawel Urbanski
    This is the clearest statement of the case I have read in a while, and "competence is not a destination" is the line worth repeating. One worked example from ...
  • Simon McGrath
    @jennie "“Liberals have always been suspicious of too much power in too few hands.” *looks at direction of travel of internal party mechanisms the last fiv...
  • Jack Nicholls
    Roz, I can't think of anything you ever write that I don't heartily agree with, frequently in letter and always in spirit. We've started (literally just started...
  • Peter Dunphy
    The challenge of empowering local communities/councils etc is not that this will allow the house building or wind farms or railway lines that we need - they wil...
  • Chloe
    Liberalism hasn't changed. Sadly too many who purport to be liberal have become illiberal....