UK challenger banks expect the M&A activity to rise in 2018 after seeing a number of deals last year; “Last year’s transactions involving Aldermore and Shawbrook are unlikely to be the last,” as Paul Lynam, board member with responsibility for challengers at industry lobby group UK Finance, and chief executive of Secure Trust Bank, explains to the FT; recent changes by the Bank of England have also put pressure on smaller banks, but making deals always has complications and bringing banks together is challenging. Source.