There’s a quiet shame creeping through the halls of power. Not just in the executive boardrooms of banks like NatWest, but in the open-plan offices of regulators, law firms, civil service departments, and even our courts. It’s a shame not of being caught — but of being recognised. And with recognition comes a question too long avoided.
When the public sees a bank exposed for systemic fraud, their reaction is visceral — shock, outrage, betrayal. But what if they saw the machinery that allowed it to persist? The well-paid roles behind the curtain. The jobs — funded by the public — whose unspoken function is to look the other way.
Because let’s be honest: accountability today too often depends not on what is right, but on who pays. And in that grim equation, justice is commodified. Victims are priced out. And silence becomes a professional skill.
The real scandal isn’t just the crime. It’s the normalisation of complicity.
How many people now draw a salary — in banks, financial services, regulatory bodies, legal institutions — by standing guard over doors they know should be opened? How many tell themselves, “It’s just my job”, while their work sustains the very structures that deny justice?
We call it a system. But systems are made of people.
And somewhere in that system, a person stands at their bathroom mirror at the end of another day, brushing their teeth, staring into their own eyes. That is the moment truth knocks.
“Is this really who I am? And why I’m here?”
It’s a simple question. But it can change a life.
I’ve asked it myself. Over a decade ago, I left the world of high finance — the titles, the bonuses, the boardroom validation. I was told I was crazy. That I was throwing it all away. That I could have done more by staying inside the system.
But what kind of change is possible when your integrity is muzzled by salary? When your every act of truth comes with career consequences?
No — real change happens outside the safety net. When self-worth begins to matter more than net worth. When conscience overrules compliance.
I chose a different path because I believe in advocacy for the consumer. Because I believe justice should not be a luxury reserved for the rich and well-connected. And because I know that every system — no matter how vast — can be reformed from the moment enough people within it stop pretending not to see.
So here’s the call. Not just to whistleblowers. But to every human being inside the system who still feels a flicker of discomfort. You don’t need to blow the whole thing up. But you do need to stop lying to yourself.
The mirror is waiting.
And the question is simple.
“Is this really who I am? And why I’m here?”
Your Money or Your Life
Unmask the highway robbers – Enjoy wealth in every area of your life!
By Steve Conley. Available on Amazon. Visit www.steve.conley.co.uk to find out more.
Academy of Life Planning 