'Reform banks' group launched

Paul Moore, the HBOS whistleblower, is launching a lobbying group – The New Wilberforce Alliance – to spearhead a campaign for a full public inquiry to clean up the banking industry.

Mr Moore said: "We will petition the Government to launch a full and forensic investigation into what happened at Barclays but also the reasons leading up to the financial crash. We want a full public inquiry with at least three judges and three members of the public. "

The one-time KPMG partner was dismissed by HBOS after he warned its sales culture was toxic. But he went on to give explosive evidence to the Treasury Select Committee in February 2009.

The Wilberforce group hopes to create a coalition of support from think-tanks such as the New Economics Foundation and Compass which have also argued for a public inquiry into causes leading up to the crash.