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

More closures y YBS (A non-Mail link for the moral arbiters on what we can and cannot read)

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/building-society-closed-vicar-s-account-after-trans-protest-d0p7vmrbm

I can’t believe people are so shortsighted to say that because is Farage. They do not care.

The accounts were likely flagged by AI as well. So scary.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Have you read what happens to people who speak out about issues that others consider woke - they get targeted with abuse, their employers get targeted.

Black Belfast girl threatened after telling of unease over Of Mice and Men | Northern Ireland | The Guardian

I guess some people don't hear about the abuse that people get from the anti-woke brigade.

And abuse is wrong - on both sides. Paper writes an article. It gets picked up by other papers. People make posts.

And then some people decide to target the people who made the comments, their employees and threaten to boycott as well.

And the bank said

"A spokesman said: ‘We never close savings accounts based on different opinions regarding beliefs or feedback provided by our customers.
‘We only ever 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, comments and behaviour in each case.’"

Always two sides to a story - and his account was not frozen.

I wonder if they'll close flat earthers accounts as well soon?
Not many in UK but they do exist.

It’s the creep of ‘approved’ behaviour, very worrying.
How many of you know that to travel to the US on an ESTA, you have to provide details of ALL social media accounts? Given that some states now want the use of Pronouns codified into law ( misgendering wil be a Crime) you may have your sm used against you.

Most people believe that people can't change sex. Flat earthers don't get flat earth flags placed in Regent street, whilst those who believe that the earth is a globe have bank accounts closed based on that belief!

You're worried about going to the USA as a gender critical person ?
Really?
Do you have any idea about the USA and LGBT at the moment?
Some places such as FLorida would welcome you with open arms whilst you'll see LGBT fleeing the States because they fear for their safety under De Santis.

Imagine if you got Ten thousand dollar fines and five years in prison if you upset the flat earth community?

Imagine being removed from an NHS hospital ward, refused care, arrested because you offended the flat earth community by refusing to use flat earth pronouns, then having your bank account closed?

So they are unfairly discriminating against people they feel discriminate!

Isn't that partly to inform potential investors about possible risk though? Poor governance and lack of attention to environmental standards can lead to liabilities down the line. And knowing ESG ratings would be helpful for people who want to support businesses that have good governance and environment-friendly practices. I don't see anything wrong with that.

I can see why a business might not want to be associated with a public figure whose views are anathema to many people, too. If I found out that my bank were looking after the money of Britain First or some other vile far-right group, I'd want to move my account, and I'd tell them why.

Barclays eventually had to divest themselves of investments in apartheid-era South Africa because of the reputational damage it did them. A boycott can be a powerful thing if it's big enough.

Barclays eventually had to divest themselves of investments in apartheid-era South Africa because of the reputational damage it did them. A boycott can be a powerful thing if it's big enough.

Something our current Lords and Masters would make unlawful if they could.

The intolerance of intolerance!

Imagine MPs puffed out chests as they stand next to a flag pole with a minutes silence for the flat earth community?

Imagine NHS staff calling a 🌎 believer a liar, no flat earther was in a ward?

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/hospital-says-patient-could-not-26506744

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/michigan-house-passes-bill-that-could-make-using-wrong-pronouns-a-felony-fineable-up-to-10000/ar-AA1dgjCB

There is intolerance of anyone intolerant or unable to incorrectly sex another human.

Under the new bill, offenders are "guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or by a fine of not more than $10,000."

The legislation would prohibit mental health professionals from trying to convert youths who are LGBTQ+ to heterosexuality and traditional gender expectations.

Traditional gender expressions - think about it!

With discussions of proposed foreign legislation I think you are going off topic.

I am an obvious woman. I would totally go by he/him just to bankrupt those who come up with these things.
That is btw what will happen. People will absolutely use it to terrorise those they don't like IF that law really is as it sounds.

The Yorkshire building society seen to have set up the Anglican vicar. The free speech union are saying that he was asked to provide feedback by the building society and when they didn't like it they cancelled his account.

I am sure that people in Florida won't use the LGBT leglisation there against LGBT people.

DeSantis limits trans treatments, drag shows, pronoun use in Florida - BBC News

People will absolutely use it to terrorise those they don't like IF that law really is as it sounds

Yes - I am sure people will use this actual law to terrorise people whose lifestyle they don't agree with

Which is why LGBT people and those who have LGBT family are fleeing Florida.

We may have an answer regarding First direct cancelling one account. First direct are a division of HSBC and their global financial tracker is a trans activist.

Wings over Scotland has tweeted the evidence.

You could stay in Florida and not campaign to have other people's children taught new ideologies that harm the minds and bodies of their children.

The Free Speech Union who don't seem to comment when other people are targetted when they speak out.

I think the Free Speech Union only care about certain types of free speech.

Academic blocked from giving civil service talk because of criticism of government | Science | The Guardian

The point is that people on both sides of a debate are targetted for abuse on social media, cancelled, their employers are targetted, boycotted etc.

And yet it's often presented as a one way thing.

I guess that if people only follow certain media, they don't hear this other stories because those media outlets don't publish them.

And the Free Speech Union doesn't care.

I meant it as anyone against anyone.
Hence saying "People will absolutely use it to terrorise those they don't like IF that law really is as it sounds." Not x group. This could be used by anyone against anyone

There are two, perhaps three issues here.

Farage's case is very different to others mentioned.

There is a tidal wave of turds following him around like a bad smell relating to money laundering, unexplained wealth and Russian disinformation and political interference - his known associates keep ending up in courts.

Farage is piggie backing on other concerns that others ordinary people have or can relate to to distract from his legal and financial irregularity question marks.

This is well established and about risk management for banks about their exposure to criminal activity. It's a legitimate legal issue not a freedom of speech or an abuse of power issue.

You then have freedom of speech issues which I'm not entirely convinced of. There should be oversight on this and questions asked but I remain unconvinced by the argument.

And then abuse issue which often I think are more to do with appalling service by banks and a deliberately obstructive approach to make complaints as difficult as possible to uphold. It's easier to push customers to breaking point than to deal with a problem and have to declare it to financial regulators. There is a need for oversight on this.

Don't conflate the separate issues.

Farage MO is to deliberately conflate and confuse matters for his own personal advantage.

I don't agree with his view but think he should be allowed freedom of speech. However this isn't a freedom of speech issue for his case.

The history of Farage's issues with dodgy financial issues are well documented and in the public domain.