Barclays: not cheerful, but cheap

Of all the big banks, it's probably fair to say Barclays has had its fair share of bad publicity, says Matthew Partridge.

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John Varley is facingcriminal charges
(Image credit: This content is subject to copyright.)

Banking is not a popular sector. But of all the banks in Britain right now, it's probably safe to say that Barclays has had more than its fair share of bad publicity this year. Six weeks ago the Serious Fraud Office surprised many when it decided to press criminal charges against four former executives, including ex-CEO John Varley, over actions related to their decision to seek funding from Qatar during the height of the financial crisis. Experts warn that the trial could drag on for years.

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri