Seems reasonable to me. Although not everyone is happy.
Nigel Farage revealed his account was recently shuttered.
Writing for The Telegraph, the former Brexit Party leader said he was then rejected by seven other banks when he approached them to become a customer.
Sounds tough. Although he should be able to cope with this okay;
The establishment are trying to force me out of the UK by closing my bank accounts.
Since his ancestors came to the UK fleeing persecution I reckon it is probably in his blood to seek asylum somewhere. Besides, didn't he back the Tory establishment last general election?
Btw that bench he is sitting on in the photo is in the centre of Downe village - home to Charles Darwin, and should be instantly recognisable to anyone who cycles in that part of the Kent North Downs.
OTOH I'm generally ok with the ability of any business to.choose who its customers are - subject to discrimination laws. OTOH I bet the banks have lots of more "dodgy" customers whose activities they happily ignore. For example, Shell, or half the bloody Tory party 😂
Is it because of his views, or is it because he is a PEP and the effort in validating that he isn't dodgy dealing isn't worth having their business for.
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/anti-money-laundering/peps
So while others may also need similar scrutiny, I should think Shell's business is a lot more valuable
I would be fairly confident in assuming it’s more as a result of them having visibility of his finances and of whom he is being paid by. See: the current crackdown/sanctions on Russian money.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;"> </span>
If a bank or building society doesn't want to do business with someone because of their dodgy financial dealings then that's one thing.
However, to the threads title, rude and discriminatory are subjective qualities and depend entirely on who is defining those terms in order to refuse custom and for what reason they might be doing it (as scotroutes intimates.)
Banks should be ethical, They are not the arbiters of morality.
Anything that upsets that **** is fine by me.
Conservatives are always going on about a business' right to not provide service to a customer if they wish (ie gay wedding cakes).
He's a PEP and couldn't give a suitable explanation of his funding sources. Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.
Rumour has it that Laurence Fox has a similar problem.
I suspect the Farage case and Yorkshire BS policy are not related.
"Conservatives are always going on about a business’ right to not provide service to a customer if they wish (ie gay wedding cakes)."
And now we're on about banks rights not to provide a service to a customer based on subjective (and perhaps political) grounds?
An eye for an eye and all that...
Sorry for replying to the actual thread title.
America is going after Russian money laundering atm
I imagine banks are very wary of the likes of farage
Farage account was at Coutts.
Former UKIP leader says personal and business accounts with major retail bank closed because of ‘commercial decision’
The commercial decision:
Clients are required to maintain at least £1m in investments or borrowing (mortgage), or £3m in savings.
https://www.coutts.com/become-a-client/private-form.html
He's probably simply not wealthy enough to be a customer there. They are a bank, you know, those bastions of integrity and ethics... why would they care who he is as long as he has money.
If his account u t is closed because of dodgy finances then of course it’s fine.
If it has been closed because of his unpleasant personality and shite politics I’m not so happy. It’s going ‘our way’ at the moment, but maybe in a couple of years someone else will be in charge who thinks my beliefs are unworthy and closes my accounts.
Protections are for everyone, even those we don’t like.
I imagine banks are very wary of the likes of farage
Wait what? I thought they were supposed to be mates
I suspect the Farage case and Yorkshire BS policy are not related.
No it's just the Daily Telegraph that is trying to tie the two together.
Yorkshire Building Society is saying that they won't tolerate rude and discriminate customers, which is perfectly reasonable and in line with many other businesses, health service, local authorities, etc, and Nigel Farage who claims that there is a weird establishment conspiracy against him because 8 banks have refused to do business with him.
I doubt very much that the decision taken by the 8 banks was politically motivated.
bench he is sitting on in the photo is in the centre of Downe village
think he’s local to the area- seen him in the Old Jail pub a few times when I worked in Biggin Hill.
"I suspect the Farage case and Yorkshire BS policy are not related." -
"No it’s just the Daily Telegraph that is trying to tie the two together."
Not just the Telegraph ernie, you've done exactly the same by starting a thread titled "Building society closes accounts of ‘rude or discriminate’ customers" and then linking to a story not about rude or discriminate customers but about Farage's financial probity.
I don't see much detail around the Yorkshire vicar case. Seems likely either he was less polite with his feedback than he's letting on, or he's done something that falls under "discriminates"
Yorkshire Building Society
@Yorkshire_BS
We never close savings accounts based on different opinions about beliefs or feedback from customers. We only ever close an account if a customer is rude, abusive, violent or discriminates in any way, based on the specific facts, comments & behaviour in each case.
Not just the Telegraph ernie
Apologies if my thread title was misleading, it wasn't intended to be, I thought the article would be self-explanatory.
Yes the Daily Telegraph is trying to suggest that there is some sort of huge woke/establishment conspiracy involving building societies and banks, and among the victims is Nigel Farage.
To be honest what interested me most about the article was the photo of the circular bench at Downe village. It is were we often regroup on club road rides. I just used the article as an excuse to post that photo 😆
Coutts doesn’t have reputation of being too worried about how grubby the money people deposit with them is
they’ve already paid out millions in fines for profiting from money laundering and we’re under investigation years before things kicked off in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions for their role in laundering 3/4bn of dodgy Russian dosh.
so if Farage reckons he’s been cut loose for reasons other than just not having enough money he’s basically saying an organisation that sets a very low bar for morality thinks he can’t get over it.
he’s basically saying an organisation that sets a very low bar for morality thinks he can’t get over it.
Later on we'll be asking ourselves if wrestling's fixed 😉
think he’s local to the area- seen him in the Old Jail pub a few times when I worked in Biggin Hill.
Well it is not surprising if he has been forced to drink at the Old Jail pub in Biggin Hill as he has been banned from the rather patriotically named "George and Dragon" in Downe village:
No doubt Nigel Farage believes that him being banned from his local pub is all part of the whole establishment/bank conspiracy against him, which is apparently trying to force him to live abroad.
I bet he could open a bank account in Russia.
Farage is just desperately trying to remain relevant IMO, hence this latest rant and promising 'more info on GBeebies later!!'
Not to be confused with banks, or any other business for that matter, reserving the right to not do business with people who are abusive and disrespectful.
Farage (rhymes with garage) is a next Tuesday. Why he hasn't been glassed or similar I don't know.
Essentially, imo, any business can choose who they cater to. There was a case in the States recently of a woman who refused to design wedding websites (who knew there was such a thing) to gay couples as it went against her Christian beliefs. I don't agree with her views, but fair enough, each to their own.
Personally I've turned down jobs based on who the end client is. Last job I turned down was for Philipp Morris at a political rally for the CDU party in Germany.
Essentially, imo, any business can choose who they cater to.
halcyon days…
Farage (rhymes with garage)
But that depends how posh you are though?
Is it Fa-rahge or Farridge? 🤔
I thought the article would be self-explanatory.
Read articles!? I only look at the pictures 😉
Igmc
He’s probably simply not wealthy enough to be a customer there. They are a bank, you know, those bastions of integrity and ethics… why would they care who he is as long as he has money.
Except that a number of other UK high street banks have refused Farage's custom. Something about his affairs stinks to high heaven, Farage has been very vocal about deregulating banks in the past. I wonder why?
Yes the Daily Telegraph is trying to suggest that there is some sort of huge woke/establishment conspiracy involving building societies and banks, and among the victims is Nigel Farage.
The Telegraph has morphed from being the right leaning paper of record into something much nastier and less scrupulous, so I've no doubt that they'd publish a headline that conflates a dubiously funded, nicotine stained turd with being a victim of "wokeism" without much in the way of evidence. I'm amazed that they didn't try to shoehorn in a tirade against transgender children somewhere in that article.
But that depends how posh you are though?
I'm grew up in Essex.... The shit bit below the A13. Posh I ain't.
Except that a number of other UK high street banks have refused Farage’s custom. Something about his affairs stinks to high heaven
Fair enough but you'd have to be a very very naughty boy for a 'highstreet' bank to refuse to give you a basic current account.
Maybe he can't afford an account with Coutts, maybe he's just too hot to deal with for legal/regulatory reasons, neither would supprise me.
My money is on dirty Russian shenannigans... banks have no morals at all unless you become too hot to handle, they dont want auditors and regulators breathing down thier necks, that costs money and banks arn't in the business of losing money.
The Telegraph has morphed from being the right leaning paper of record into something much nastier and less scrupulous
The Daily Telegraph never recovered from the Conrad Black years imo - that's when it slipped into the gutter.
He is local to Downe village shown in the photo, he lives in Single Street which is a short distance away.
he lives in Single Street which is a short distance away
It would be a shame if a box full of turds turned up in his post. Maybe he'll wake up to the sight of frozen sausages hammered into his front lawn?
Maybe he can’t afford an account with Coutts, maybe he’s just too hot to deal with for legal/regulatory reasons, neither would surprise me.
I don't think that this is about Farage's solvency, he could shift to an ordinary Natwest account and remain in the same banking group. Likewise, if other banks are refusing to touch his money then it's something else.
Coutts have been fined in 2011 for "for breaches of money-laundering rules after three years of "serious" and "systemic" problems in handling the affairs of customers vulnerable to corruption because of their political links":
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/mar/26/coutts-fined-money-laundering-checks
So long as a businees/bank isn’t being discriminatory on the basis of a protected characteristic, I'm more than happy for them to choose who they want to deal with.
If cheats, liars, rude or obnoxious people find that their behaviour has repercussions, I'm all for it.
He's a politically exposed person (PEP) who can't prove source of funds. Tough titty, Nige.
But I supposed putting Vladimir Putin down as your primary benefactor just isn't viewed the same way any more.
Anyhow. **** him and his treasonable actions. He's achieved more in destabilising the UK and, to a lesser extent, the EU than a hostile foreign government could have ever wished for. Cheap at half the price for Putin.
If he can't get a bank account where is his money just now?
And
If a bank severed ties with you no bank to transfer your funds to, what do they do with your money? Send you a cheque or a briefcase?
Excellent article here:
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/nigel-farage-brexit-revenge-conspiracy-theory-b2368056.html
"The banks are obviously making life very difficult for Nigel, and he’s annoyed; but, equally, you can see why, from a bank’s point of view, Farage must be a bit of a pain to look after".
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. And he's even mentioned leaving the UK. That would be like winning the lottery...for the rest of us.
Personally I cannot stand the sob. He's just so false, and putting out a working class persona with his pints of lager and flat cap. Im pretty sure that cap lives in a box 99% of the time and is nothing more than window dressing.
Banks have always reserved the right to choose who they accept as a customer. Back when I worked at Barclays we had two customers have their accounts cancelled for abusive behaviour towards staff and one for their dubious business activities. Pretty good going for a small upmarket town on the Welsh border.
From what I have read on the Farage one Coutts have kicked him off their Premier account service for being a Politically Exposed Person (ie dodgy funding sources) or more likely that he doesn't meet their criteria for the amount of money he has. Both normal reasons. What Farage has done is make it out to be more than it is, not do anything about it during his notice period (a month or more has been mentioned elsewhere) and then go crying to the press for obvious reasons. He doesn't have any protected characteristics that he can claim they're discriminating against otherwise he would have taken that angle.
Mountain out of a molehill as per usual with anything to do with that moron.
Not many working class people were educated at Dulwich College, or got a job in the city because of his fathers connections…..
seen him in the Old Jail pub a few times
I'd like to see hin in the Old Jail. Or a new one or...
He might also want to move and just needs an excuse of course...
I suspect the Farage case and Yorkshire BS policy are not related
They're not. Farage was banking with Coutts, not Yorkshire Building Society, and we don't know the reason why they closed his account but the most likely explanation is that he is a PEP or 'Politically Exposed Person', the same as any politician, and this means that he is screened more thouroughly for money laundering than most.
https://www.cityam.com/nigel-farage-claims-he-may-have-to-leave-uk-after-bank-accounts-closed/
My heart sinks when I see those signs about staff not accepting rude or aggressive behaviour as it usually translates to "you are about to experience the worst imaginable service known to mankind"
More Nigel Farage explanation:
https://twitter.com/mac_puck/status/1675189146132918273?t=ghBoagy_Q2dIEWkvftRjag&s=19
maccruiskeen
Full MemberCoutts doesn’t have reputation of being too worried about how grubby the money people deposit with them is
Absoltely, but they don't do it for just any old tom dick and harry- they're not giving it away, they're professionals. It looks like Farage has got used to the service but can't afford the price, and now he's trying to find that same blind eye service for free elsewhere.
As for everyone else, a new account gets a different spotlight shone on it than an existing one, and most high street institutions are <not> as open to ignoring the rules as Coutts, they don't have enough prestige and history to laugh off million pound fines. So while it's probably two different things, they're not unconnected.
(when I was still in the bank, we'd already gone highly risk averse on new custom, even a whiff of unexplained earnings and we were likely to just decide that while you might well be a legit customer, you probably weren't worth the hassle of finding out, or the risk of accidentally tipping off, or the financial or reputational risks. A completely reputable PEP with simple, fully documented earnings turning up in your office was a Bad Day, never mind a Farage. You could get away with all sorts of heinous **** once you were in, because we were hopelessly underresourced at higher level, and the people handling the day to day stuff were barely trained, so dubious activity would most often be missed, often be ignored. So even then it had got mostly to the point of first-contact gatekeeping and just saying no to anything that looked like hassle, rather than trying to maintain hassle)
Guess if he's got dodgy money, he'll be off to Switzerland then!
More Nigel Farage explanation:
It looks like because im not a member of ****teer I wont be allowed to look at tweets. Every time ive recently(past couple of days) clicked a link it gives me a "something went wrong" note saying retry, and it doesnt matter how many times I click that its just the same oops....
No loss really
My heart sinks when I see those signs about staff not accepting rude or aggressive behaviour as it usually translates to “you are about to experience the worst imaginable service known to mankind”
My daughter's back from Uni and working at the supermarket for posh people again to earn some summer money. Two shifts in and she's had a middle aged 'well spoken' man berating her and a colleague on the welcome desk because they shop (and the two 19 year olds on the welcome desk) are supporters of pride, culminating in him throwing his loyalty card over the counter at them because he's never shopping there again.
They told their manager who came over afterwards and she's told them if he comes back in wanting his card back, she's cancelled his account on the system and to call her. She might 'accidentally' have cancelled any points he was due vouchers for as well......
Some people get the service they deserve.
TBH my revolute account was suspended for money laundering checks 🙂
Once I had provided details of the funding sources to the banks satisfaction that they could tick the not money laundering checkbox it was reinstated.
They told their manager who came over afterwards and she’s told them if he comes back in wanting his card back, she’s cancelled his account on the system and to call her. She might ‘accidentally’ have cancelled any points he was due vouchers for as well……
Legend!
My heart sinks...
There's one in our GP practice, it went up after a patient (bitter angry red faced man*) at one of our receptionist with his walking stick because he couldn't get an appt. that day.
* and it's always bitter angry red-faced men
My heart sinks when I see those signs about staff not accepting rude or aggressive behaviour as it usually translates to “you are about to experience the worst imaginable service known to mankind”
As above, 9 times out of 10 (99 times out of 100) it'll be great. If you ever experience 'the worst imaginable service known to mankind' it probably isn't anything to do with the sign....
My heart sinks when I see those signs about staff not accepting rude or aggressive behaviour as it usually translates to “you are about to experience the worst imaginable service known to mankind”
My heart sinks because we shouldn’t need signs like them. Something is deeply wrong in our society when hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets have to have signs up telling people not to be utter pricks.
hmmm, I thought banks like Coutts were supposed to be v private? I mean, OK it's on the BBC and who am I to second guess the info they've got? But I'd not be massively impressed if my bank (not Coutts!) started telling the media about accounts held there.
If you started lying abut a bank, then them people close to the situation setting the record straight is your own doing.
Edited because the bank has still said nothing at all according to that BBC story.
turns out he’s just too poor
Called it 2 days ago 😀
He’s probably simply not wealthy enough to be a customer there. They are a bank, you know, those bastions of integrity and ethics… why would they care who he is as long as he has money.
Apparently Natwest offered him a normal account rather than thier elite tier Coutts accounts.
One thing I've never really understood, as a pauper.... aside from prestige, what to these elite tier banks actually do for you? better interest rates? Turning a blind eye on dirty money?
Fresh ground coffee when you go into the branch rather than a vending machine?
It was a 'from unnamed sources' kind of situation. I presume they are not happy that he is flinging mud.
As said above by many being with Coutts is one thing trying to set up a new account elsewhere with potentially dodgy sources of income is another game. He just needs some Russian to rest a load of money in his account and job jobbed
As above, 9 times out of 10 (99 times out of 100) it’ll be great. If you ever experience ‘the worst imaginable service known to mankind’ it probably isn’t anything to do with the sign….
+1
Back in the dim and distant past working in hospitality, you can spot the people about to receive "the worst imaginable service known to mankind" a mile off.
But I’d not be massively impressed if my bank (not Coutts!) started telling the media about accounts held there.
The bank hasn't said anything public as far as I know, and they shouldn't, it would be a mine field of data protection/ litigation.
Farage went public on twitter or whatever, and on Gbeebies, saying (paraphrased)
"i've been cancelled by elite wokists!"
aside from prestige, what to these elite tier banks actually do for you
Generally, a bit of wealth management making sure your money is making money for you (& them) + something like a concierge service - that sort of thing.
Turning a blind eye on dirty money?
As a "normal" bank, this generally isn't worth it - if a person is sanctioned, or you can't trace the source of funds you can get in quite hot water, or even go to prison if you don't report potentially dodgy dealings.
Glad to see the papers going ballistic over conflating a couple of non-stories... Ho hum...
Our favourite rubbery faced fascist has been ranting about he has been turned down by other banks too hasn't he?
Can see how that would go.
APPLICATION
Name: Nigel Farage
Filed under BIN...
like a concierge service – that sort of thing.
<div>from Imgflip Meme Generator</div>
i’ve been cancelled by elite wokists
the first thing that comes to mind when I think of woke culture is coutts bank tbf…
he’s taking a pasting on twitter..
he’s taking a pasting on twitter..
Nothing changed there then, he just likes the attention....
the first thing that comes to mind when I think of woke culture is coutts bank tbf…
He was half right though with the elite part. Somewhat odd that a man of the people like him was banking there in the first place.
He was half right though with the elite part. Somewhat odd that a man of the people like him was banking there in the first place.
Well, indeed. lol!
he just likes the attention….
That's my reading on the situation, he's desperatley trying to remain rellevant in a post brexit world.
He's used up, spent, he has nothing to offer the right wing anymore.
Off to the glue factory for you 'me old mucker.
Be sure to leave your pint of Greene King IPA, and flat cap at the door, as it plays havoc with the grinders, and new blades cost a fortune.
Bon Voyage!
I had a student summer job of working on the public facing counter of the DSS as it was known at the time and not a day went past when either me or my female colleague would be threatened with untold violence for not easing the process. On rare occasions I’d see the customers out and about in the town and other than an uneasy grimace not much occurred.
Everything’s been easier since.
turns out he’s just too poor
I don't know the protocols in banking are but it sounds plausible to me that the other half a dozen or so banks that refused to do business with Farage might have done so because he couldn't explain why his previous account had been closed by his bank.
Do they ask the question "have you ever had a bank account closed or refused"?
And if he went along with the Daily Telegraph headline suggestion that it was possibly connected with him being seen as "rude and discriminate" it wouldn't have enhanced his chances!
@dyna-ti ****ter are DDoS'ing themselves and us refuseniks are not allowed access as the data use is costing them pots of money.
sounds plausible to me that the other half a dozen or so banks that refused to do business with Farage
We only have the word of Farrage himself on this point.
I would speculate that, and in consideration of;
A) He's a lying sack of poo
B) He's probably broke, or at least suffering cash flow issues
That he's still lying. No bank would realistically refuse you a basic zero overdraft current account. They will even give you a contactless debit card, but they will rape you if you go overdrawn.
According to his own words Natwest offered him a Natwest account, but apparently that's not posh enough for an established elite, of the callibre of Farrage, who is totally anti-elite.
The whole thing is a joke, and a sad attempt by farrage to try to remain politicaly relevant.
We can file this under ‘non-story put about by proto-fascist populist and should-know-better journalists’ along with the pupils identifying as cats story and probably at least two more before the end of the week.
I hate to sound like a crazed American, but the main stream media are really letting society down by not fact checking stuff before they spaff it everywhere.
We can file this under ‘non-story put about by proto-fascist populist and should-know-better journalists’
Fine by me. 🙂
He's too poor? Excellent, couldn't happen to a 'better' man 🤣
As for the 'No bank will accept me' line? Every bank has to offer a Basic account of some sort and they're virtually impossible to fail the checks for, all you need is proof of ID and a UK address. If you cannot find a bank to accept you then there is an appeals procedure to the Financial Ombudsmen who will nominate a bank to take you on if you are a legitimate UK resident.
"My heart sinks when I see those signs about staff not accepting rude or aggressive behaviour as it usually translates to “you are about to experience the worst imaginable service known to mankind”
My daughter’s back from Uni and working at the supermarket for posh people again to earn some summer money. Two shifts in and she’s had a middle aged ‘well spoken’ man berating her and a colleague on the welcome desk because they shop (and the two 19 year olds on the welcome desk) are supporters of pride, culminating in him throwing his loyalty card over the counter at them because he’s never shopping there again.
They told their manager who came over afterwards and she’s told them if he comes back in wanting his card back, she’s cancelled his account on the system and to call her. She might ‘accidentally’ have cancelled any points he was due vouchers for as well……
Some people get the service they deserve.
Back in the dim and distant past working in hospitality, you can spot the people about to receive “the worst imaginable service known to mankind” a mile off.
Another one here who did a few years in retail and bars. Far too easy to spot the people who have never worked in hospitality or retail, they just seem to default to being rude. If I had my way everyone would have to do a few weeks working in a customer-facing role in a shop or restaurant, it would quickly cut down on the bad customers in the future.
In one of his tweets he said that they wouldn't offer him a business account and that he needs one because he does everything through them.
I took that to mean he needs a business account to help him avoid paying tax.
Suppose it has to be one way or the other. You either allow any organsisation to discriminate or none. Freedom to have an opinion works both ways.
However this is more likely to be the result of less desirable financial dealings rather than selective discrimnation.
After all if anyone has the right to object to him he has a right to be himself.
There was a case in the States recently of a woman who refused to design wedding websites (who knew there was such a thing) to gay couples as it went against her Christian beliefs.
If that’s the one I’m thinking of, the whole thing is completely bogus, false, made up.
Interestingly, apparently other customers of Coutts are contacting the BBC to say that they don't meet the wealth criteria and they haven't had their accounts closed. Seems they have a measure of flexibility.
My heart sinks when I see those signs about staff not accepting rude or aggressive behaviour as it usually translates to “you are about to experience the worst imaginable service known to mankind”
My heart sinks because we shouldn’t need signs like them. Something is deeply wrong in our society when hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets have to have signs up telling people not to be utter pricks.
We absolutely shouldn’t need signs like that! It costs nothing at all to be nice to people. Although, being nice to people is the basic definition of ‘wokeness’, so clearly there’s a subset of people who feel it beholden of them to demonstrate just how ‘anti-woke’ they are at any given opportunity. 😖🙄🤷🏼
