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

[Snorkers]

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?

Projecting what? You think you’ll get ‘cancelled’ if you look at someone the wrong way, to the point where you’re avoiding certain human interactions.

Either you are being ridiculously dramatic or you are unwell, in a way that’s impeding your life.

Re. Farage, it’s interesting that not only has he had his account with one institution closed, but 7 others have refused to open accounts for him.

Either every bank in the country has suddenly decided to victimize Farage, or there are issues he is not disclosing.

That tweet is so full of shit, no company contacts you on the day your direct debit bounces threatening you. Most send you a ‘your DD didn’t go through, we’ll try again on x date’ letter first. I know this from first hand experience.
to assume its political is a massive stretch.

I was going out of my way to interact with Bank staff to save their jobs, I now won't bother, it's quicker and easier to use a machine.

If they interpret anything rude they cancel bank accounts, I can't be doing with the hassle. It's quite a logical move to just avoid interacting with people who can destroy you that easily, if they are having a bad day.

I am not taking advice from people I consider daft.

It's quite funny that he has unwittingly declared publicly that there is something so suspicious in his finances that the banking industry will no longer do business with him!

Nice to see a measured response

So if u have no bank account and the government want to move to a cashless society, what do you do? For what its worth, about 6 or 7 years ago Nat West ( who my husband had banked with for 45 years) withdrew his overdraft facility with no notice. he only found out when his card was declined. They refused to give a reason, just that he had to pay it immediately and wouldnt get another one ( it was about 2 grand). He was fortunate in that he had another account with a different bank so was able to change, but to this day we never found out why. (And he is an accountant!!)

Banks really don’t like having PEPs as customers, unless they’re big time investors they’re a net cost due to all the extra know your customer checks and ongoing compliance checks you have to do on them. Farage is the walking definition of a low net worth dodgy PEP so not surprising banks are refusing to do business with him, what’s in it for them other than more risk?

If he has committed a crime then that is a matter for the police.

If he hasn't then how can this be legal?

I don’t believe that either. What the banks do, is they determine swatches of accounts are too hard to verify as the transaction pattern is very similar to suspicious transactions and /or the industry / people often have unsavory linkages, so rather than deploy the manpower /take on the risk they close this. This substantially affects the sex industry and also remittances- companies that support families sending payments back home to the pacific and Africa, africa especially (those continents/groups are where I know it’s happened), it’s the same banking response in the uk and Australia, have worked in both. This gc example feels like a step farther than that though and I agree with other posters it seems like the ‘wrong kind of customer’ due to belief, which is actionable (perhaps triggernometry took a lot of small donations that triggered a sar?? Don’t know 🤷‍♀️)

He's probably well aware his followers have a, errm, critical thinking deficit, will lap up his tales and go into full-on Pavlovian froth mode immediately.

Are you saying that his account wasn't closed and this is all a lie?

I'm ticked by the PP who said "and there's no evidence that the person was ever abusive" as if the bank is ever going to publicly disclose the content of calls or emails with a difficult customer. From what I know of banking, I'd nearly put money on it that he’s said something rude or unpleasant to the staff.

Banks are businesses. They provide a service but they're entitled to decide they no longer want a relationship with a particular customer and decline to continue to do business with that person.

I used to work in financial complaints and it was pretty common for a bank to issue the 60-day notice if, for example: the customer had complained too many times (like 20 in 2 years, with several payouts for goodwill); if the customer had used abusive language in their discourse with bank staff (people doing their jobs shouldn't have to listen to abuse or ranting); complained too many times about petty stuff while opening a new account (bank is entitled to decide this means you'll be a difficult long term customer); were receiving income from unexplained or potentially unlawful sources or were dealing in crypto as it's a hiding place for money laundering; or the algorithms have flagged unusual activities on your account that are typically hallmarks of fraud - even if you haven't yet been investigated or convicted.

There are a number of reasons. At the end of the day, the bank is exposed to a lot of risk through the behaviour of their customers and they are entitled to decide that a customer behaviour that poses a risk (even uncrystallised) is sufficient to refuse to do business with that person while other free-market options are available to them.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12253081/Vicar-accuses-Yorkshire-Building-Society-bullying-closing-account-trans-protest.html

Ferage is a red herring though highlight beliefs as not being treated as a protected characteristic.

The issue is banks creating bad relations between protracted characteristics, this is against the equality act, there is no hierarchy for certain sexual orientations or gender reassignment they are not more equal than others.

No. I'm saying the reason it has been closed will not be the reason he's saying. He's playing to help audience imo.

to his *audience

Got to love people harping on about the Equality Act as if they've ever even read it, or have any insight into the conduct of the individuals in matters between them and their bank.

Everyone has an agenda, but everyone knows the banks won't post publicly about your conduct so you can say what you like about them. They're hardly going to come out and say "X was incredibly rude on the phone and made Sarah feel very uncomfortable; he rang up to talk about a direct debit and ended up ranting about the Bank's Pride 2023 campaign and trans people for fifteen minutes asking her did she not think it was ridiculous and had she no brain in her fucking head to stand by those lies" now are they?

Mind you this sort of thing happens all the time and they're not going to close accounts for a one-off; in my experience it's always either something egregious or a pattern of behaviour.

The Equality Act doesn't protect anyone from the consequences of being a dick.

So what reason is there, that is bad enough for a bank to be closed but not bad enough to be a police matter?

Have you any actual evidence of why the account was closed or are you making assumptions?

You can read my posts @AlisonDonut if it's helpful; I've given a list of reasons why banks can and will close accounts and not one of them requires the involvement of the police.

Those making excuses for he banks are shutting themselves in the foot. Anyone bank can say that a customer has links with to Russia and close their account. Who is going to prove or disprove that. We all know what this is really about. Thought policing. It happening more and more. The Canadian truckers had access to their banks accounts terminated when they were protesting Covid restrictions.

Yep folks, you cannot think or say the wrong thing anymore. Because the consequences will be dire. But hey at least it’s progressive, innit. Enjoy.

Wear dark glasses, then they won't be able to tell how you're looking at them.

Ray-Bans are especially good for that.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4838848-first-direct-and-natwest-closing-bank-accounts-for-political-reasons-inc-being-gender-critical?page=6&reply=127293013

There is an example of being 'rude' to staff on page six.

I find people like you often claim these things are open to interpretation. Until you believe you're on the end of alleged abuse, discrimination or rude behaviour and then the opposite is true.

Is there any non Daily Mail reporting on this? My understanding (unverified) is that there were concerns about the source of Farage's money...

A few years ago HSBC demanded that all business customers fill out a questionnaire about their income sources. They were auditing businesses for money laundering and other corrupt activity.

I looked at the questionnaire and couldn't be arsed so moved my account. But I know lots of people who weren't notified of this questionnaire, didn't fill it in and had their accounts closed, often with funds that were needed but inaccessible.

There doesn't need to be a police matter for a bank to just close your account.