The Business Matrix: Saturday 18 January 2014

Regulator picks RBS investigators

The Financial Conduct Authority has appointed the consultancy Promontory Financial and accountant Mazars to report on Royal Bank of Scotland's alleged mis-treatment of business borrowers following a scathing report from the entrepreneur Lawrence Tomlinson.

French in running for East Coast line

The French state transport group Keolis/Eurostar is one of three shortlisted bidders for the reprivatisation of the East Coast rail franchise. The London-to-Edinburgh route has been in public ownership since National Express handed it back to the Government just over four years ago.

City derides EE owners over float

City analysts accused Orange and T-Mobile of "dithering" after they axed plans for a £10bn flotation of EE. The joint owners of Britain's biggest mobile phone group have been looking at an IPO for a year but have now postponed it after poor feedback from bankers.

TSB boss praises Labour proposal

The boss of the new TSB bank, a former executive at Lloyds, applauded Labour proposals for new "challenger banks". Paul Pester demanded "consistent, determined effort from the competition authorities, politicians and banks" to encourage competition.