Yorkshire Building Society closing accounts down on people with views that don't agree with their policy

[Summer2023hasarrived]

So the story goes that if you have a view on Brexit or LGBTQ?+ that isn't inline or in agreement with the people that know what view is right at The Yorkshire Building Society then they can close your account?

AIBU - stick to the day job and provide mortgages and savings

YABU - they can decide if the values of their customers don't align to shut them down

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12251447/British-building-society-admits-closing-accounts-people-rude-discriminate.html

story here

I get if people are violent or abuse staff, but a different viewpoint?

Allegedly First Direct also closed the account of a person who thinks that 'women don't have penises' so they don't like facts then.

Why are so many businesses so captured now?

I haven't clicked on the link.
I have accounts with YBS but they would have no idea what my view is on any issue. How does that work?

Is this true? If so I’ll be closing my account….. and I’d opened it in response to HBOS trans drama last year 🙄.

I don’t agree with it, I think business is business and politics shouldn’t come into it.
That said, I don’t think this will affect average Joe. It’ll be people in the public eye who are very outspoken who will have their accounts closed so the bank can make a point. I can’t bring myself to give a shit about Toby young or Nigel farage.

Reading the story it's well know individuals who have made statements on things.

I don't like Farage at all, or his views, but I respect his right to them in a free country.

I don't think TWAW but if a man thinks he is a woman then find wear a dress and do what he thinks makes him a woman but if others say women don't have penises they they aren't wrong.

It is, your correct. It's the creeping invasion into telling people what they should believe or not believe. It's odd.

So it says:

"First Direct has also been accused of closing the account of the founder Wings over Scotland pro-Scottish independence blog, run by journalist Stuart Campbell. Mr Campbell has suggested that his accounts were closed because of his views on gender and sex, including declaring: 'Women don't have penises'. "

In the case of Farage and Tice it is nothing to do with their views. It's about them Politically Exposed Persons (there are regulations around this) and about the very high likelihood of them having received Russian money. Banks are legally allowed to close anyone's account if they suspect dodgy dealings, because under UK law they are liable for any associated costs and prosecutions.

And you need better source material than the Mail. Really, you do.

”I may disagree with your opinion but I will defend to the death your right to hold it”

Or words to that effect. No, banks should not be shutting people’s accounts based on their views.

I fully agree.
Not a fan of Farage et al, but it starts with them and... We all can imagine how it goes.

It should be abuse of staff or illegal activity only imho.

This is hardly going to apply to average people not in the public eye.

Clickbait.

Problem is, this is only ‘good’ inasmuch as those we disagree with have their accounts closed down.

What happens when the ‘good’ becomes the ‘bad’?

Actually in Toby Youngs case, but a spokesman from Yorkshire Building Society said: 'We would only make the difficult decision to close a savings account if a customer is rude, abusive, violent or discriminates in any way, based on the specific facts and behaviour in each case'.

So here is the source the bank themselves. Your hatred of others is blinding your perspective.

This means if in queued in their bank and they over hear me state women do not have penises' they can close my account, that's a fact.

🙄

Nigel Farage has received money from Russia Today etc- in the current circumstances it’s not really surprising that banks may be cautious?

Oh dear.

So then what we’re really saying is people can’t go public with their views. Which is dangerous.

Hasn't hebeen paid for like a decade by them for appearances etc?

I've already asked this in another thread the same applies to you.

Can you please supply evidence that Nigel Farage has links to Russian money, It was Chris Bryant who initially came out with this claim and Farage threaten legal action if Bryant repeats his allegation outside the House of Commons, where the rules of parliamentary privilege allow MPs to make claims in parliament without the risk of being sued for libel.

Not necessarily.

Sometimes people get the media they deserve.

It's all a bit Big Brother, isn't it?

<in case anyone doesn't know, I mean the book, not the idiot tv show>

Oh dear 😴

How the fuck do 35% of responders think you're being unreasonable?

Of course banks shouldn't be able to only serve customers based on their views, particularly when subjects are based on feelings rather than scientific fact.

Farage, Fox etc absolutely have a right to voice their views and a building society has the right to not want them as a customer.