The British government is moving forward with divestment of NatWest, seeking total privatization.

The British government continues with its divestment process in NatWest bank, formerly known as Royal Bank of Scotland, with the aim of completely disposing of the shares it holds in the institution. According to the most recent information, the British state has reduced its stake in the bank to less than 20%, specifically to 19.97%, which represents a value of 6.39 billion euros. This decrease in the state's participation in NatWest is significant, as such a low percentage had not been recorded since 2008, when the bank became publicly owned. These movements are part of the London government's strategy to withdraw as a shareholder and allow the bank to return to full private ownership. One practical implication of this reduction in state participation is that the State is no longer considered a related party, leading to a decrease in administrative burdens and a reduction in public power to appoint executives in the bank. Thus, a progressive disengagement process between the government and NatWest is evident. NatWest's CEO, Paul Thwaite, has reiterated that the main goal is to return the bank to full private ownership, as they believe this measure will benefit both the institution and all its shareholders. This statement reflects the bank's management commitment to achieve the full privatization of the financial institution. In recent months, the State's exit from NatWest has accelerated, coinciding with the change of government in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2023, the British government still held a 37.98% stake in the bank, indicating a significant reduction in a short period of time. The divestment strategy outlined by the Conservative Party has been disrupted by the Labour Party coming into power. Despite this, both Conservatives and Labour have expressed interest in continuing to reduce state presence in NatWest, although the specific strategies of each party may vary. It is important to remember that in 2008, the British government rescued Royal Bank of Scotland with an investment of £45.5 billion to acquire a 58% ownership. This percentage later increased to 84.9%, before starting the divestment process. Currently, NatWest's market capitalization is £26.9 billion, while the portion in public hands is valued at £5.37 billion. In summary, the reduction of state participation in NatWest marks a milestone in the bank's privatization process and reflects the British government's commitment to relinquish its role as a majority shareholder. This process will continue to evolve in the coming months, with the expectation that NatWest will return to being a fully private entity in the near future.