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Writer's pictureMark Playne

BANKS BACKTRACK ON FARAGE

It's been good news to see Subject Access requests by Nigel Farage have outed the lies of the banks and forced a public apology.


You might remember that just a couple of weeks ago both Coutts and NatWest were closing his accounts, apparently due to simple financial decisions on behalf of banking terms and conditions.

Farage used the Subject Access legislation forcing the banks to reveal the inner communications, proving Farage's suspicions were correct and indeed the banks had closed his accounts purely due to his political beliefs.


Love him or hate him, the banks were breaching Farage's basic rights, since all citizens must have full access to financial services.


PayPal are still guilty of closing multiple accounts of freedom-fighting organisations and alternative media outlets including Not On The Beeb, and by association the personal accounts of NOTB founder Mark Playne.




NatWest CEO apologises to Nigel Farage over 'deeply inappropriate' Coutts banking fiasco



It comes after Coutts bank closed Mr Farage's account after he fell below their £1million wealth threshold but evidence provided by the former UKIP leader suggests the closure was due to his political views.


Natwest Bank has formally apologised to Nigel Farage following days of a high-profile media storm.

Mr Farage was exited as a customer of Coutts last month and began a campaign to change rules around freedom of speech and a right to a bank account.


In a letter to Mr Farage, Alison Rose, the CEO of Natwest - which owns Coutts Bank - said: "I am writing to apologise for the deeply inappropriate comments about yourself made in the now published papers prepared for the Wealth Committee.

Alison Rose said the views expressed in the 40-page memo acquired by Mr Farage "do not reflect the view of the bank".

She added: "I believe very strongly that freedom of expression and access to banking are fundamental to our society and it is absolutely not our policy to exit a customer on the basis of legally held political and personal views.


"To this end, I would also like to personally reiterate our offer to you of alternate banking arrangements at Natwest." In a statement, Mr Farage hit back: "Dame Alison Rose’s apology is a start, but it is no more than that. "She needs to take responsibility as CEO, and is wrong to say the views of her own committee’s report don’t reflect the bank. "I will now defend thousands of other people that have been de-banked on her watch." A source told the Daily Express that a senior executive at Coutts told Mr Farage that the issue had been "taken out of their hands" before the decision to close his account was made.


On July 4 Coutts sources briefed the BBC's Simon Jack they hadn't closed Mr Farage's account because of his political views, but because he had fallen below their £1 million wealth threshold.

Bombshell evidence revealed by Nigel Farage this week, however, seemed to disprove that claim.


Mr Farage submitted a Subject Access Request to the bank, a legal means by which you can force a company to hand over their data about you.


The document he received showed an extensive briefing about his pro-Brexit, pro-Donald Trump views, as well as accusing him of having links with Russia.


Last night the Telegraph revealed that the BBC's Simon Jack sat next to Natwest chief executive Dame Alison Rose at a dinner in London the night before he published the banks' counterclaims about Mr Farage's wealth being insufficient.


Mr Jack and the BBC are yet to apologise or amend their original claims.


1 Comment


Guest
Jul 22, 2023

And all these banks want Digital currency. Too much control given to unelected bodies with little to no accountability. They can go Fcuk themselves.

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