Craig Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer, Metro Bank: “Metro Bank is committed to supporting and nurturing enterprise by providing lending solutions to our customers. We’re extremely proud that since June 2012, as today’s figures show, we’ve increased our lending by 219%. Our lending growth is a message to SMEs that there is lending to be had if they look in the right places.
“However, what we see on the whole from today’s data is disappointing; banks must do more! It’s frustrating to see banks drawing down funds from the FLS and then not lending as they should. Flat lending growth will not provide the stimulus that our economy and businesses need to grow and expand. We urge banks to think about the economy more widely, and to actually do their part to support their customers.”