Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Farage lying!? What were the chances?

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Pretty high l would say.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

He really is an attention seeker. Several days of him and his supporters getting angry because he isn't rich enough to have a private bank account with Coutts.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Dare I dare point out that the Forum predicted this scenario back on 30 June.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/sta...93191899324418

Farage is saying he was never told there was a minimum threshold with 100% a lie. There is obviously a minimum threshold to have a private bank account, that's why not everyone is with Coutts.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

So is he going to get off his soap box and sign up with NatWest, and stay in these glorious sunlit uplands or is he off to France with no neck Neil.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Well, I wonder how many other banks will want such a drama queen on their books?

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

He is always playing the victim as usual.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Minor detail, but he didn't have the assets etc, long before then. Also apparently the offer of an alternative account was made AFTER the story broke and no business account offered.
Still doesn't explain the refusal of other banks and refusals of various other people for unspecified reasons.
More cases.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

That's what he says about NatWest. And the other banks are probably private banks as well.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Imagine being so hate filled you complain to the probably minimum wage staff about a pride flag rather than just get on with your day on the premise of live and let live.

Welcome to the culture war.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I don't think you've taken on board jfman's point from the other day. There is a world of difference between Farage stating something to be so and it actually being so.

Where is the evidence that:
- He didn't have the assets long before then?
- He was only offered an account at NatWest after the story broke?
- NatWest did not offer him a business account?

Farage needs to put up or shut up.

We don't know that the reasons were unspecified. Again, you're taking his word as gospel. Damien has pointed out that he lied about not knowing Coutts had eligibility criteria so could well have lied about this too. Other private banks have income and asset criteria to Coutts - they're not mass market offerings.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Only permitted opinions allowed then? Who gets to say what is and isn't "permitted"?
What did the banks expect it to achieve? Costly exercise and wasteful of resources.

---------- Post added at 18:51 ---------- Previous post was at 18:49 ----------

How on earth is he expected to prove any of that? How does he prove that NatWest didn't offer him a business account and before he raised the issue in the press.
Still doesn't explain all the other stories of banks cancelling other people.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Nobody is preventing a banking customer from holding an opinion, regardless of how wrong it is.

A costly exercise and a waste of resources sounds like a perfect description of arguing with bank staff on bank premises and/or engaging their correspondence departments, who will have no real say on whether the bank marketing department strategically goes after the pink pound.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

If he says Coutts wrote to him with no explanation and no offer of an account at NatWest then show us the letter. These days with mobile phones a redacted letter can be up on Twitter in less than a minute.
One vicar who sent a potentially offensive contact form does not make an extensive list of case study material.

If any customer genuinely thinks they have been mistreated then they can contact the Financial Ombudsman. I've yet to see any evidence that this is more than just a couple of snowflakes playing the victim card. They need to put up or shut up. Let's see that vicar's ranty contact form and judge for ourselves whether it was offensive or not.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

A good summary.
https://bylinetimes.com/2023/07/04/n...good-to-check/

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

A.k.a. ‘Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story’, an axiom you will almost certainly hear as a junior reporter within 10 minutes of going to work in any newsroom. It’s a misquote of ‘never let the truth get in the way of a good story’, usually attributed to Mark Twain.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

The letter came after he raised the issue. Whether the letter was on it's way already, doesn't matter, as it was the TRUTH at the time.


More than one case. Metro Bank refused to open an account for an organisation.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Must be true if it’s in capital letters.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

So, the general consensus is that Farage lied. Who knew? :D

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

he like Johnson could not tell the truth if his life depended on it

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I bet Farage and Johnson blushed when banks used to mention their LIBOR rates. ;)

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

He's not in Johnson's league by any stretch of the imagination, but the Coutts stuff was decidedly economical with the truth.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

All Farage knows how to do is to lie. He has betrayed this country and its citizens. History will judge him poorly.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I'm pretty sure he's already judged poorly. ;)

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I just don't care.For someone who has failed 7 times to be elected to Parliament I really can't give a hoot for the man.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

He has done no such thing. It’s called democracy Ian. I didn’t realise your absolute hatred of all things Brexit, blinds you to the absolute fascist actions of these banks closing accounts, because it upsets a minority of precious darling mardarses that work there.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Before he received the letter, he hadn't been notified of an offer of a NatWest account. What's so complicated about that?

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

What’s complicated is that you’re relying on a single source for this information, and it’s a source that might not be reliable.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

His supporters could always arrange a whip round to get him the money he needs to meet their requirements?

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

He got 'cancelled' because he didn't meet the income requirements. It's possible they would have waived this but the PEP marker means it's not worth it to them.

Otherwise just bank like the rest of us plebs and take up the NatWest account.

If you care that much then organise a Go Fund Me so you can get him the level of banking you feel he deserves.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I don't hate him but I am tired of his attention-seeking antics and cult following. For the record, I don't like many Remainers who make it their entire grift as well, James O'Brien, that Femi guy and that Werido Twitter-obsessed lawyer.

I think they're grifters who use division and anger to make their careers/money by appealing to a base of people who want to make that aspect of their politics their entire life. They're Remainers/Brexiters and they love seeing Remainers/Brexiters 'owned' because they must be up to no good. Boring. Do something else with your life.

And that's all I am saying. He wasn't cancelled, he just isn't as rich these days.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

So because some members have a differing opinion from others its called bile.

Really Sep you are better then that as differing viewpoints is what a forum is about in my view, no matter how unpalatable it might be for some.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

It's perfectly logical, he keeps lying and being found out.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I think you’ll find a lot of people disagree with you. But don’t let me spoil your party, however deranged it may be! :rolleyes:

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Lying isn’t a matter of opinion. He either does or he doesn’t. You may have the blinkers on but others called this charade as soon as he went public.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Total rubbish. You may be bored by the damage done to this country by these liars but some are not. If you want to allow those who wish to take this country to dark places by complacency then do so but don't expect others to do likewise. They want to hold these people to account.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

And who determines that, you? You, together with other Boris haters?

I’ve already discovered through another thread that you don’t actually understand what a lie is. To be a lie, it has to be deliberate.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Whether they lied determines that, it’s nothing to do with me. As I said it’s not a matter of opinion.

The ostrich approach makes you look ridiculous, OB. Nobody even mentioned Boris and you’re out foaming at the mouth venting incoherent defences of politicians merely because you agree with them.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

It is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of fact. If you honestly believe what you are saying, how can it be a lie?

It may be untrue, nieve, etc, but it is not a lie unless you are setting out to deceive.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Which he absolutely did when he went public claiming the banking system was out to get him.

Wilfully omitting material facts - like who he banked with and their explanation to him - is lying.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I agree with that. But I don’t believe that he wilfully lied about Brexit.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

OB, you claimed to be bored of that thread now you’re starting it here.

It’s specifically his banking shambles for discussion here. No need to dive in head first to defend him every time.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Brexit has also been mentioned on this thread, but fair dos, this is about the banking issue.

On that, I agree it looks as if at least he is stretching the truth.

Hopefully, you will also agree to stop changing the subject when responding to posts in a thread. It’s a good discipline.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

:rofl:

I take you all the way back to my post you quoted. You bring up Boris, you then bring up Brexit, two subjects I’d not mentioned in my post.

You really need to stop being Brexit on the brain and view every event objectively and the evidence on it’s own merit. One single policy, once, doesn’t exempt people from scrutiny.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Or better still, not close an account in a fascist way.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Should any capitalist enterprise be forced to render its services to someone it doesn’t want to? What about their freedom to make their own rules.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

FFS Ian, when are you going to let it go that you lost, several times in several democratic exercises, also, your side lied as well!

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

We all 'lost' as can be seen from the state of the country. Farage had a big part to play in the disinformation. Once you get away with lying it becomes habitual (same for Boris), even with piffling matters like bank accounts.

I once was given HSBC's top 'premier' account as I came into a sum of money. Didn't ask , they just gave it. However I moved the money quickly as their products are crap . They then downgraded me to an ordinary account again ! However no big deal/disruption , kept the same account no/ sort code throughout this pointless process. Haven't felt the need cry to the press about being 'cancelled' yet, but I might do ;)

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Not having a bank account isn’t a tiny matter. Especially when you can’t get one from 9 other banks.

This country is not doing that great but it’s not in a recession, I’d say we’d be in a recession if we were still in the corrupted EU. Germany in recession and it’s in the EU, so answer that one, you Remainiacs cling on to your precious EU like it’s some saviour, it is not and Germany should prove that to you. Our country is better out than in, we just need Tory wets to accept the several Democratic mandates it’s been given.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

To be fair we really don't know the ins and outs of Farage's income and banking experiences and how it's come about.It's not like banks are free to give out private info and we are having to rely on the gentleman's level of truthfulness and opinion.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

GENTLEMAN I say that is a bit off.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Just bank with Natwest. The vast majority of us get by without private bank accounts.

They have it. They've got a big majority and we're out of the EU. What do you want them to do with it? Because they've tried to get trade deals but America and others aren't biting. They can't deliver on the promises made.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Maggy is a nice lady. You're just rude. ;) :D

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Sorry old boy have you heard of fun.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I have indeed. I nearly fell off my chair laughing!

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

:D

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Farage claims he now has a Document leaked(?) from within Coutts saying he was within the threshold: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...n-with-values/

If true that it's pretty damaging. While banks can deny service to people it's obviously not on for banks to screen customers based on having the right politics.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I caught some it earlier. Regardless of what you think of him, banks shouldn’t be allowed to do this. A law needs bringing in that prevents banks withdrawing services just because you don’t align with their way of thinking.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

They excluded him in the name of inclusivity. :confused:

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

So

1. They’d a good reason to want rid of him (he’s a PEP)
2. They had a committee meet to discuss a series of unrelated (bad) reasons and he’s a PEP. And wrote them all down for safekeeping.
3. Told him it was not because of the PEP at step 1
4. Told the BBC it was a third reason, specifically discounted on the list at 2
5. Sent him the list from 2, directly contradicting what they told the BBC and him

Seems legit.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Coutts are very left wing, of course they had it on for our Nige.

Anyway I just tried applying for a Coutts account and got the following:-

Bleeding socialists, me and Nige against the world !

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

That's a bit of a bureaucratic socialist approach.

There's enough banks in this country for someone to find another one if their current bank feels that it will suffer reputational damage by having an outspoken individual as a customer.

And why single out private banks? Why not every supplier of goods and services in the country? Let's strangle British business with more red tape!

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Tory Lords are concerned about PEP rules too apparently.

The obvious answer is a “bank of last resort” where those too risky deposit their money with the Treasury, who of course work with the Bank of England to back any deposits.

They could even work with HMRC to share data and automate their tax arrangements :rofl:

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

We need banking services to live In todays society.

Your approach is naive.

You need food to live? What if all supermarkets decided not to sell you food because you did not align with their politics.

What if energy companies, through your smart meter……, decided to stop giving you power because you think a man can’t be a women, or that Putin is not all bad.

And won’t release your meter until you agree with them?

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

There's plenty of banks out there. No business should be forced to do business with someone if it damages their reputation. If the business gets this wrong then it will impact their bottom line and the shareholders will replace the management. That's how business works, not through oodles of red tape.

I don't think you're understanding the importance of reputation to certain businesses. In such businesses, where client acceptance procedures are crucial, companies would rather forgo a potential client's business than be tainted by association. You simply don't get that kind of reputational damage as a supermarket where someone does their weekly shop. You do get it if you're cited in a Sunday Times Insight Team article as the bank processing money from a sanctioned country into a controversial individual's bank account.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Hmmm, I just missed out .... ;)

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Irrelevant whether there are also other banks, especially as the other banks are starting to use the same discriminatory policies with various people. The banks should act impartially, and not be looking into somebody's opinions and politics. Imagine other everyday businesses doing the same, eg supermarkets?



In the document, Coutts admit he DOES still meet their financial criteria.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I don't think businesses should be allowed to withdraw service for reasons based on race, religious, politics, or sexuality apart from extreme or specific examples.

Farage isn't exactly beyond the pale. We're not demanding that the KKK are given a bank account for example.

The only possible caveat here is that private banking is more tailored and personal. It's basically a private club you can be invited into. So any law enforcing people's accounts that aren't withdrawn/not issued based on politics might exempt them anyway.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

They’ve also admitted he’s a risk (PEP) - a risk none of the other banks he’s contacted want to take on. Having identified this risk gives them additional administrative and regulatory burdens in dealing with Farage as a client.

If that burden is better shouldered at NatWest, rather than Coutts, I fail to see how they can reasonably have been considered to refuse a service to him.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

The decision was still based SOLELY on his opinions.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

How about Northern Irish bakeries?

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

No it wasn’t. His own documentation from them following the subject access request, plus subsequent rejections across the banking sector, say he was a PEP.

They may not have initially disclosed that to him, but it was certainly there on paper in the decision making trail.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

In case you forgot (though I suspect you haven’t), Ashers never refused service, they simply refused to reproduce a specific campaigning slogan that did not align with their company’s values. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where Ashers won.

It is now established case law in the UK that nobody can be forced to promote a message they fundamentally disagree with. That case law cannot be overturned by any British court, given that it’s the decision of the highest court in the land. Only Parliament could change it, by writing legislation that would amount to compelling speech - a hopelessly illiberal idea that is vastly, vastly unlikely ever to occur.

None of which is in any way relevant to a bank closing someone’s account because they don’t like their politics.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Comparing Coutts to generic "High Street" banks is flawed. They are a private bank, as been noted above, with (I suspect) a very discerning clientele so (not) having someone so toxic as a customer may be purely a business decision for them. One they are entitled to make.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

They’re a subsidiary of NatWest plc and subject to the same laws and industry regulations as every other bank.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I don't think it's been established that this is why Farage's accounts are being closed.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

And the parent - NatWest plc - are offering him banking services.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Perhaps not, but the story is definitely inching in that direction. It certainly isn’t because he fell below the income/investment threshold, which is what Coutts have previously let slip, and is probably the only reason the public at large would be sympathetic about, as Coutts is known as the Royal family’s bank.

Side note, years ago when I was treasurer of the Christian Union at my uni I received a very generous donation from a student in the form of a Coutts cheque. I was suitably impressed by the bank’s name though at the time I had insufficient life experience to join the dots and realise just how utterly minted this bloke must have been. :D. From that day to this, that’s my one single brush with the world of Coutts.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

But that's for the rifraff/commoners? Sir Nige deserves a gold embossed cheque book and a free piggy bank.

Could be argued he's made the UK and therefore banks significantly poorer.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Indeed. I tend to think the story here is just utter snobbery on all sides. Coutts don’t want the likes of him, and he doesn’t want to stand in the queue with the likes of us.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Yes, there are laws and regulation for the plebs and there are those for the "special" people :)

Seriously though, if you are going down this road then it is discriminately to reject someone because they have less than the required £3m in savings

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I’m pretty sure that allowing/barring individuals from specific financial products based on their ability to service them at a specified level is actually a feature of the entire banking system rather than an act of discrimination. It’s the very reason why the regulations require banks to offer ‘basic banking’ accounts, so that those who don’t match anyone’s criteria aren’t excluded from the system.

(I suspect, without having looked into it, that those basic products are considered to have been adequately delivered as long as they’re available somewhere within the bank’s business, without having to be replicated under each subsidiary brand the business operates).

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

1) And look at all the fuss made over that.
2) it wasn't the customers they had a problem with, but the message on the cake that they were asked to do. If it had been a simple "happy birthday" message, then no problem.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

What the case did show is that business can choose not to serve a customer outside of reasons of discrimination due to protected categories. This is the case here. I have read the published memo now and it looks like the bank decided that the reputational and potential future regulatory risk was not worth it. It’s public knowledge that Nigel Farage is a Coutts customer and the risk managers didn’t want the bank to be associated with his statements and positions.

The only way out is regulation to force banks to keep and possibly accept new customers. Is more banking regulation really what Nigel Farage and his friends want?

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Yes it has. The document used for the basis of the decision has been released.
So to be inclusive, they excluded him.:confused:

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Not sure I believe the banks, who wouldn't believe him when he spoke of future uplands and who in their right mind wouldn't accept a promissory note from him. Bit surprised he's admitted banking with them tbh, kind of shatters his man of the people act

My only brush was with a customer at Ondigital, I actually asked him if he was a royal and he said only distantly :shocked:

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

We've had some selected leaks. We've nothing in black and white that says what you're alleging. Stating that some of Farage's views (eg admiration of Putin, lockdown scepticism) are not aligned with Coutts' views does not mean that's the reason they let go of him.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think Coutts comes out of this well if they leaked misinformation to the BBC.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

The Supreme Court found that Ashers did not refuse to serve a customer, they refused to take on a specific project requested by a customer. You might think that amounts to counting angels on a pinhead but the distinction is legally important. The plaintiff in the ‘gay cake’ case is still welcome to enter and purchase goods from Ashers shops in Northern Ireland, in the unlikely event they might want to. But if they ask a branch to make a cake celebrating Pride week they can expect to be refused that specific request, and Ashers are entitled to do so.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

Which is 38% owned by the taxpayer.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

You seem to be conflate a minimum service level for account operation with an arbitrary amount under which you are deemed unworthy. Two different positions I would argue.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

They are indeed different, however none of us possesses that facts to know which has occurred here. There are business reasons for keeping prices up - when we ran a B&B for example, we would never discount below a certain rate even when we were quiet, because we found when we sold it too cheap the problems we faced increased. Guests were more demanding and less likely to respect our home. It made more work for us than a couple of extra room nights was worth.

I make no observation as to why that correlation existed except to speculate that there’s a point at which a value-added service, which you tend to cherish as an experience, becomes a commodity which you use at your convenience. Having worked for an international five-star hotel company in the past, I can assure you that the actual cost of servicing a room in one of those hotels is far, far below the minimum price they would ever actually sell that room for.

In Coutts case I’m pretty sure you can make a sound business case for having fewer, richer, lower maintenance clients whose custom acts as a sales tool to attract even more of the same accounts. Lots of investable money flows in while the cost of servicing each client is relatively lower.

Of course, it could be plain old fashioned snobbery at play here - I tend to suspect it is, in a way. Though it is a bit of a reach to take what might have been Farage’s personal experience and use it to pass judgment on an entire business model.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

My God-son’s parents (and they are also God-parents to our offspring) have a Coutts bank account - tbf, we have known them since they were in Uni, and their parents were both firmly middle class (teachers and Post Office managers); their first house was an ex-council semi.

He was offered the Coutts account when he became a Tax Partner at one of the Big Four accountancy firms in his mid-30s - it came with the position.

Re: The Bank of Farage
 

I had a Coutts account & check book at 24. My employer had a Coutts account (Strand, London) and its employees had Coutts accounts, until Coutts kicked us all out 2 years later. And my salary was below 50K.