With just days left until she leaves the Bank of England, Dame Minouche Shafik is implementing her exit plan. She’s had her leaving party, delivered her valedictory speech on “experts” – inspired by an early ambition of becoming a journalist and the current attacks on “fake news” – and her office is almost empty. Photos of her family still adorn the room, as well as mementos from her time at the International Monetary Fund, including a picture with Barack Obama, former US president, and IMF managing director Christine Lagarde at a meeting on the eurozone crisis. She’s also already bought a leaving gift for her staff: she pulls open one of the drawers behind her desk to reveal three large bags stuffed with coins and banknotes – all made of chocolate of course. “No plastic fiver yet,” she smiles. “Chocolate” is one of the words printed on the Bank’s leaving gift to her – a giant plaque filled with hundred of words used in her speeches, the memos she sent and messages published on the Bank’s internal website.
It would be a " huge mistake " to diminish the scope of the UK 's financial reforms in favour of transforming the economy into a low - carbon , low - regulation economy , according to sir Minouche Safik , the Bank of England 's deputy governor for markets and banking . In her final interview before leaving the bank , Shafik said that loosening regulations on the nation 's financial sector would sow the seeds of another financial crisis . Shafik will leave her position later this year to become the first female director of the chartered School of Economics .