Nationalisation of Northern Rock that Northern Rock was to be nationalised claiming that the private bids did not offer "sufficient value for money to the taxpayer" and thus the bank was to be brought under a "temporary period of public ownership". The government is the sole shareholder through UK Financial Investments Limited, and the Bank is managed at "arm's length" on a commercial basis by an independent board under Ron Sandler. Customers are not affected by this change. A Government-appointed arbitration panel will decide on a fair price for the compensation to be offered to investors for their shares. Prior to the markets opening
Nationalisation of Northern Rock before the removal of the guarantee at the end of May. This means that, like most banks, only the first £50,000 (or as of October 2011, £85,000) deposited is guaranteed. When the British Government nationalised the bank, they noted that it was to be a temporary measure, and one of their aims was to eventually return the bank back to the private sector. On 26 April 2009, "The Times" suggested that the Government would sell Northern Rock by the end of 2009. Potential buyers included Virgin Money, National Australia Bank, Santander, Blackstone and TowerBrook. "The Times" noted that a British