Keydata boss Ford denies responsibility for record FSCS levy

Laura Miller
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Stewart Ford, the former Keydata director whose firm's collapse drove the FSCS interim levy to the highest on record, has denied responsibility for the £326m fee and claimed advisers are a scapegoat for the FSA's mistakes.

Speaking to Professional Adviser, Ford also called for the levy to become a loan to save Keydata backer Lifemark’s assets from a liquidation firesale. This could provide a lifeline for intermediaries and give clients a chance of being repaid when the portfolio matures, according to Ford. “Keydata’s insolvency was manufactured by the regulator and aided and abetted by PwC. Now, two years later IFAs and fund managers are being asked to stump up a lot of money to pay levies that are absolutely ridiculous,” he said. However, both Lifemark’s provisional administrator, KPMG’s Eric Collard, ...

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