Whistleblowers have railed against the decision by UK financial regulators to allow the chief executive of Barclays to keep his job at the banking giant despite repeatedly trying to uncover the identity of a whistleblower.

The Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority had the power to ban Jes Staley from the City for twice trying to uncover the identity of an anonymous whistleblower in 2016 but instead chose to fine the 61-year-old American.