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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to tell you that First Direct closed bank account of gender critical blogger

262 replies

Snorkers · 30/06/2023 16:05

https://twitter.com/WingsScotland/status/1673371351942307840

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1673371351942307840.html

Who's next? What other beliefs are no longer allowed to partake in society?

https://twitter.com/WingsScotland/status/1673371351942307840

OP posts:
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19
justteanbiscuits · 05/07/2023 14:10

AgathaSpencerGregson · 05/07/2023 11:10

so none of the financial regulations we derived from EU law have been changed yet. They are all still in force.
even if they were changed, the EA 2010 would surely bar a bank denying services to someone on grounds of their beliefs.
im not saying that’s what’s happened, just that I can’t make head nor tail of what has happened.

Show quote history

So the chances are, banks are offering basic accounts, but not ones he wants?

A few years back I was involved in the school PTA and we had our bank account suddenly closed (literally just received a cheque through the post) because we no longer met their criteria for an account. Tried a few banks before finding one that would take us. Nothing to do with beliefs, just to do with making sure we met their criteria for what we wanted. We didn't go running to the press though.

ChrisPadley · 05/07/2023 15:33

That this has happened to the Scottish Human Rights and Equalities commissioner makes any doubt about the reasons for Farage's cancellation irrelevant. Something very serious indeed is happening. This should be the top news story of the day on all media.

AgathaSpencerGregson · 05/07/2023 15:44

justteanbiscuits · 05/07/2023 14:10

So the chances are, banks are offering basic accounts, but not ones he wants?

A few years back I was involved in the school PTA and we had our bank account suddenly closed (literally just received a cheque through the post) because we no longer met their criteria for an account. Tried a few banks before finding one that would take us. Nothing to do with beliefs, just to do with making sure we met their criteria for what we wanted. We didn't go running to the press though.

Show quote history

As I understand it, “sources” say he has been offered an account, he says he has not (or at least, not a business account, which he needs).
in this case, who knows. It all seems a bit rum.

AgathaSpencerGregson · 05/07/2023 15:46

ChrisPadley · 05/07/2023 15:33

That this has happened to the Scottish Human Rights and Equalities commissioner makes any doubt about the reasons for Farage's cancellation irrelevant. Something very serious indeed is happening. This should be the top news story of the day on all media.

What would be helpful here is for the major banks to make clear that they will not close accounts for anything other than legal reasons or those relating to residential or financial criteria for holding an account. That would allay any unjustified alarm. Slightly worrying thru haven’t done this.

FedgeHund · 05/07/2023 16:08

ChrisPadley · 05/07/2023 15:33

That this has happened to the Scottish Human Rights and Equalities commissioner makes any doubt about the reasons for Farage's cancellation irrelevant. Something very serious indeed is happening. This should be the top news story of the day on all media.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66111090

Nigel Farage

Bank account closures probe must be fast tracked, says minister

Treasury urges action after Nigel Farage complained his accounts were being closed for political reasons.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66111090

Gracewithoutend · 05/07/2023 18:10

justteanbiscuits · 05/07/2023 10:57

No, Coutts haven't made a statement. People are inferring it's due tot he wealth level as this is explained on their website. Farage hasn't denied this.

He was offered a Natwest account as a replacement, he wasn't left with no bank account.

If we were still covered by EU regulations, banks can't remove a customer without offering them the basic pay in / pay out bank account. Sadly, Mr Farage was very influential in removing us from the EU. So, you know, karma sucks.

Show quote history

He was offered a basic personal account. But no business account. He said this on his first video about it so has never hid it.

Juicyj1993 · 05/07/2023 18:41

I commented on a very similar post like this a couple of days ago, there will be more to it. The tone of the article and tweet make me think they would very likely have been abusive to staff.

When I worked at the bank people that had their accounts closed, never seemed to have received recorded letters that had been signed for, and always said they were never told a reason.

LoisLane66 · 05/07/2023 20:20

From 1998-2000 I worked for a woman who had an account with Coutts. One day a call came through when she was bathing and she asked me to take the call. It was her husband who lived in SA to ask her how much money she wanted transferred and was it her Barclays account. She went spare when I asked her and replied that he was never to transfer any money to Coutts but gave me the bank details of an account she had in a certain Swiss canton.
I found she had two sets of books, one showing the monies received from numerous benefits (she was tetraplegiac) and charities which was a considerable sum and another which showed her true worth which was eye-watering.
Barclays refused to believe she had the money she had stashed in SA and refused to investigate. I and the other 2 staff left as we didn't want to be mired in any dodgy goings-on.
Banks then were not woke, as they now are, however, to shut their ears to proveable wrong-doing was tantamount to aiding and abetting. It's now a reverse situation with the criteria for opening an account subject to ever more scrutiny.

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