Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · 4d

Register now for the Customer Union's annual gathering on Saturday 22 November! All welcome.

Hear from the Co-op Bank, ask them questions, get the latest on the merger, and help discuss our strategy for the year ahead.

More details and registration form here:

customerunion.coop/2025-gathering

November gathering and AGM 2025 | Customer Union for Ethical Banking

customerunion.coop

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · 25d

Issues we raised:
👉 Why can't we use a land line for two-factor authentication?
👉 What accounts packages work with the bank's Open Banking interface?
👉 When can we expect a clear announcement about extending the bank’s ethical policy to Coventry Building Society?
saveourbank.coop/newsletter-2...

Newsletter September 2025 | Customer Union for Ethical Banking

saveourbank.coop

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · 25d

💡 Did you know the Customer Union has a formal recognition agreement with The Co-operative Bank?

🤝We met with the bank to represent our members and ask their questions.

📖Read our update on the meeting in our latest newsletter:
saveourbank.coop/newsletter-2...
#union #coops #ethical #banking

Newsletter September 2025 | Customer Union for Ethical Banking

saveourbank.coop

1 1 2

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Jul 27

The Co-op Bank has sold on its Mas5 subsidiary, which contains "mortgage prisoners". Why did the bank (& its new owner, Coventry Building Society) not help them by taking them on as normal customers? The bank has declined to comment.

More in our latest newsletter:
saveourbank.coop/newsletter-2...

Newsletter July 2025 | Customer Union for Ethical Banking

saveourbank.coop

1 2 4

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Jun 10

Coventry Building Society is no stranger to ethical business, but tends to be less vocal about it. Now that it owns the Co-op Bank, will it follow the bank in being a noisy advocate on climate change and human rights? We hope so!

Read more in our latest newsletter: saveourbank.coop/newsletter-2...

Newsletter May/June 2025 | Customer Union for Ethical Banking

saveourbank.coop

5

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

Keith Taber @drkeithstaber.bsky.social · May 23

It was nice of Co-op bank to email me about account security, to tell me they will never (sorry, 'NEVER') send me an email with a link, and to include a link for me to follow up for more details…

@cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social

Am I the one being especially thick here, or is the Bank?

3 1 6

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · May 27

Oh dear. Since we got the same email, we would guess it's the bank.

1

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Apr 17

👋 ⭐ Good news for #coops! ⭐ 📢

If you want to grow, adapt or tackle challenges, our Business Support for Co‑ops programme offers 6 days of tailored expert guidance to help take you to the next level. It has already helped some 500 groups to start, develop or convert to a co‑op! (1/2)

1 3 7

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Apr 27

The Co-op Bank had plans to join the Net Zero Banking Alliance.

Now the NZBA has retreated from its 1.5 degree target, and leading ethical bank Triodos has quit in protest.

How will the Co-op respond?

Our latest newsletter:

Https://customerunion.coop/newsletter-2025-04-26

5 7

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

BankTrack @banktrack.bsky.social · Apr 15

After the exodus, the NZBA had two options: double down and align with the science, or reduce its ambition to keep fossil banks on board. Today members voted for the second option.
www.unepfi.org/net-zero-ban...

Net-Zero Banking Alliance renews mandate with increased focus on unlocking opportunities for financing real economy decarbonization

Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) members vote overwhelmingly in favour of adopting proposed changes to the NZBA framework, concluding a strategic review that has been underway for a year. The vote...

www.unepfi.org

2 6 5

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Apr 27

Thanks for following Mark! Don't think BlueSky is owned by billionaires either. We will keep Mastodon in mind for the future.

1

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Apr 27

The Co-op Bank had plans to join the Net Zero Banking Alliance.

Now the NZBA has retreated from its 1.5 degree target, and leading ethical bank Triodos has quit in protest.

How will the Co-op respond?

Our latest newsletter:

Https://customerunion.coop/newsletter-2025-04-26

5 7

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Mar 27

Here's the Co-op Bank's position: "We will not provide banking services to any business .... that ... Manufactures or transfers indiscriminate weapons ... torture equipment ... or armaments supplied to oppressive regimes."

2 1 8

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Mar 27

In practice of course, ethical arms companies don’t exist. But worth remembering that the Co-op Bank’s Ethical Policy on the arms trade has always focused on human rights, & never excluded defence companies supplying conventional arms to open, democratic governments.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Labour MPs urge banks and investors to support defence firms

A group of over 100 Labour politicians say ethical investment rules are holding the sector back.

www.bbc.com

1 5

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Mar 24

Now that the Co-operative Bank is back in mutual hands, under the ownership of the Coventry Building Society, we’ve retired the #SaveOurBank name, and given ourselves a new logo, web address and email.

Find us at customerunion.coop

A union of Co-op bank customers | Customer Union for Ethical Banking

customerunion.coop

2 6

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

Zero Hour for the Climate & Nature Bill @zero-hour.bsky.social · Mar 22

👏 Great news that our film—Toadwatch—received Bronze at the Smiley Charity Film Awards!

💚 A huge thanks to Proper Good Films and The Co-operative Bank for making this possible—and raising awareness for the urgent need to reverse nature’s destruction now.

🐸 www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhlM...

1 4 11

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Mar 24

The Co-op Bank turned away seven businesses due to breaches of its ethical policy in 2024. What do you think of the bank's reporting on this? Let us know!

Read more in our latest newsletter: saveourbank.coop/newsletter-2...

A snip from the Co-op Bank's Sustainability Report 2024 describes the businesses it turned away.

1 3

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

Eco Stoic @ecostoic.bsky.social · Mar 2

Democracy may be in decline. But we can still vote with our money. Divest away from banks that fund fossil fuels, tobacco and weapons companies.

Some of the most ethical UK banks are:

Triodos
The Co-operative Bank
Nationwide

A full list by country can be found here:

bank.green

Find Ethical & Sustainable Banks In Your Area - Bank.Green

Bank.Green is sounding the alarm on the climate-destroying activities of banks while recommending sustainable alternatives and empowering consumer action.

bank.green

1 2 8

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Feb 17

Our first newsletter of 2025 is out now, with news of the Co-op Bank's take-over by Coventry Building Society: what it means for customers and what it means for us as a union. TL:DR : it's great news 🚀

saveourbank.coop/newsletter-2...

3 7

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Feb 19

Hi! We're an independent union of Co-op Bank customers driven by ethical concerns. The Co-op Bank doesn't finance fossil fuels, has a stronger record on climate action than Starling or Nationwide, and is now back in mutual ownership. We humbly suggest they're also worth your recommendation.

2 11

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Feb 17

Our first newsletter of 2025 is out now, with news of the Co-op Bank's take-over by Coventry Building Society: what it means for customers and what it means for us as a union. TL:DR : it's great news 🚀

saveourbank.coop/newsletter-2...

3 7

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Feb 8

Lord Sharkey tells SFO to investigate Co-op Bank over mortgage prisoner treatment www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/news/2025/02...

Lord Sharkey tells SFO to investigate Co-op Bank over mortgage prisoner treatment

Lord Sharkey has written to the SFO asking it to probe the treatment of mortgage prisoners by MAS5, part of the Co-operative Banking Group.

www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Jan 15

We are liking the look of the first joint Co-op Bank / Coventry Building Society campaign. Exciting news indeed. As a Customer Union, we will continue to represent the interests of bank customers in the merged organisation.

www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/new-cam...

New campaign, new future for Co-op Bank as Coventry BS completes £780m takeover - Prolific North

A new campaign entitled ‘All Together Even Better’, has launched to announce that The Co-operative Bank is now officially part of the Coventry Building Society family, following the completion of a £7...

www.prolificnorth.co.uk

2

CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social · Jan 15

Thank you Richard!

1 1

Reposted by CUEB: The Customer Union for Ethical Banking

Richard Hull @richardhull54.bsky.social · Jan 9

Some of the credit for saving The #Co-operative Bank must also go to the Customer Union for Ethical Banking @cuebcustomerunion.bsky.social (originally Save Our Bank and now a co-op society), which is I think the first ever Customer #Union to achieve a recognition agreement

The Cooperative Economy @cooperatives.bsky.social · Jan 4

Coventry Building Society has taken over the Co-op Bank (United Kingdom), restoring it to mutual ownership after its near-collapse in 2013 when it was sold to private investors. The merger promises enhanced benefits from increased customer numbers and expanded mortgage and savings balances. 🏦👷‍♀️

Coventry Building Society completes takeover of the Co-op Bank

The deal returns the 152-year-old bank to mutual ownership after it was sold to private investors following its near-collapse in 2013

www.thenews.coop

2 2 10