With the Co-operative Bank working hard to reinvent itself after the worst losses and scandal in its 142-year history, is it wise to abandon it as it attempts to rebuild customer trust, and what are the ethical alternatives? Last year the Co-operative Bank, the only high-street bank with a customer-led ethical policy, was found to have a £1.5 billion gap in its finances following the ill-advised takeover of the troubled Britannia Building Society and the resignation of Co-op Bank chairman Paul Flowers after admitting possessing drugs, including cocaine and crystal meth. As part of a rescue package, the Co-operative Group had to relinquish control of up to 80 per cent of the bank to American hedge funds. However, the bank argues that it still stands by core principles, and continues