Nationalisation of Northern Rock in the event that the takeover bids fail. On 12 January 2008, the Treasury recruited Ron Sandler, the former Lloyd's of London Chief Executive, to lead Northern Rock, in the event that the bank was nationalised. If the Bank was to be temporarily nationalised, the government would manage the Bank at "arm's length" on a commercial basis, where services for savers and borrowers would not be affected and the company would continue to operate as normal. However nationalisation would also address the future of the Northern Rock Foundation. Alistair Darling rejected the possibility of the Bank being put into administration.
Nationalisation of Northern Rock buyers. Alistair Darling has stated that he is in no hurry to return the bank back to the private sector. In January 2010 National Australia Bank were widely reported to have lined up potential advisers on the deal to buy the Northern Rock. NAB already own two brands in the UK, Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks. Also in January 2010 Virgin purchased a small bank, the Church House Trust, but according to "the Times" and other sources Virgin still had an interest in Northern Rock and had been contacting companies such as Blackstone. In July 2010 it was reported that a