Barclays: Is Martin Taylor’s halo slipping?

On the evidence of his most ardent supporters Martin Taylor, chief executive of the British clearing bank Barclays, is destined for nothing less than sainthood. Appointed two years ago to do one of the toughest jobs in UK banking, he has convinced shareholders and staff that he is the bank’s saviour. Ask a Taylorite to characterize the man and a string of superlatives gushes forth: brilliant intellectual, warm personality, rational, intuitive, tough, humane, erudite, approachable, far-sighted, down-to-earth, an outsider, insightful.