Barclays ‘cashed in on Tucker’s Libor hint’

Bank of England faces embarrassing new claims
The lawsuit against Barclays has been brought by a Cumbria-based caravan company
The lawsuit against Barclays has been brought by a Cumbria-based caravan company
OLIVIA HARRIS/REUTERS

The Bank of England and Paul Tucker have been drawn back into the Libor scandal amid claims that Barclays used what it believed was a confidential instruction from a former deputy governor to lower rates to buy billions of pounds of debt in rival British lenders at the height of the financial crisis.

In a series of allegations contained in a legal case brought by a caravan company against Barclays over the bank’s representations to and management of the company, including claims that it mis-sold the business an interest rate swap, claims have emerged of how the bank allegedly began building a large sterling position in the debt of other financial companies hours after Mr Tucker spoke to Bob Diamond, then head of Barclays’ investment