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
Northern Rock price was £4.51908. It joined the stock exchange as a minor bank and was expected to be taken over by one of its larger rivals, but it remained independent. In 2000 Northern Rock gained promotion to the FTSE 100 Index, but was demoted back to the FTSE 250 in December 2007 and later suspended from the LSE on nationalisation. On 14 September 2007 the Bank sought and received a liquidity support facility from the Bank of England, following problems in the credit markets caused by the financial crisis of 2007–2008. The bank was more exposed than others to restrictions in