Should Banks Be Able To Close Accounts If They Do Not Like Your Opinion

Casdon

It’s been enforced recently for people who are illegal immigrants too.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/06/people-suspected-of-living-illegally-in-uk-to-have-bank-accounts-closed, which accounts for some of the numbers.
I think it is appropriate for this to be investigated further through the government, I don’t think the hysteria is necessary until we understand more about the justifications being used. I don’t agree with jumping on a bandwagon of protest when we only have half the facts. If it is being used inappropriately then the law will no doubt be changed.

If someone is an illegal immigrant then they may be working in the black economy. Banks have a duty to identify people opening accounts and to be vigilant for money laundering; that would include wages being paid via the black economy or the regular depositing of cash.

MerylStreep - that’s very interesting.

I think I’ll get all my money out of the bank and hide it under the bed. 🤣

Some years ago I used to see a man with a big sandwich board and placards standing in a busy street and handing out leaflets to people explaining how he had lost his home due to a major Bank’s errors. He had lost everything and could get no help from anywhere. I must try and find out whether if ever got compensated. It’s just like the dreadful Post Office scandal where honest people lost their homes, their jobs, went to prison and some even committed suicide.

MaizieD

One bank closed an account for what people think is a piffling reason. So now there's panic on Gnet...

This article from 2021 puts the lie to the one

inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/saving-and-banking/how-the-ombudsman-is-failing-scores-of-customers-with-frozen-bank-accounts-1123561

It’s been enforced recently for people who are illegal immigrants too.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/06/people-suspected-of-living-illegally-in-uk-to-have-bank-accounts-closed, which accounts for some of the numbers.
I think it is appropriate for this to be investigated further through the government, I don’t think the hysteria is necessary until we understand more about the justifications being used. I don’t agree with jumping on a bandwagon of protest when we only have half the facts. If it is being used inappropriately then the law will no doubt be changed.

So glad so many people are now grasping what is going on.
It has been slowly creeping up on us all for several years.

And of course, if we were to go cashless Big Brother can see what you spend your money on, where you go, what you owe, what you’re worth etc.

Deedaa

The version I heard was that the "Man of the People" was banking with Coutts and they closed his account because he no longer had enough money. No doubt apocryphal but it would have been amusing.

The man of the people himself said publicly that he banks with Coutts which incidentally is owned by NatWest which incidentally the British public have a 38% stake in.

Keeper1

Just wait until we become a cashless society they will then have complete control

You need to sign this petition. It’s got 25,000+ signatures since about 7pm.

www.gbnews.com/

I would hate a cashless society. Street collections, kids birthdays, window cleaner, sponsorships, car boot sales, hairdresser, bits at the village shop, etc

Not just MPs but family members as well, Domenica Lawson is not the only one and she was discriminated against twice, once when she went for a personal account and again when she and her mother wished to open an account for a charity they had set up. This time because her elder brother is a viscount, not in the House of Lords, just has a title.

It seems that anyone classified as 'Politically Exposed Person'(PEP) is seen at being at a heightened risk of being involved in money laundering and corruption.

The PEP system came into force in the UK when some money laundering regulations were introduced in 2007 and was only meant to apply to powerful and influential people outside the UK, - people like Putin and the Wagner leader, for example, not the grandchildren of defunct politicians.

Thanks Galaxy, I didn’t know about that. I hope he wins.

For those who don't think that this is a problem; is that because you don't happen to agree with the victims political views and would you be quite as sanguine if it happened to someone with whom you were politically aligned? The Financial Ombudsman has stated that it's receiving 50 complaints a week from customers who's bank accounts have been closed with no notice and no explanation.

Shahrar Ali was a Green Party spokesman Maddy, and he alleges he was sacked due to his gender critical views, he is supportive of single sex spaces for women. He is taking them to court alleging discrimination.
The Green party have previously got themselves into a right mess with regard to this the smaller parties tend to fall foul of this issue.

Sensible report on what is to be done, which avoids the hyperbole.
www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/03/banks-accused-of-closing-accounts-such-as-nigel-farages-on-political-grounds

Just wait until we become a cashless society they will then have complete control

Galaxy

As I said on the other thread gender critical beliefs fall under the protected belief category, I listed a number of incidents where people mostly women had been discriminated against because they were gender critical. They include forstater, bailey, bindel, they all won damages, very recently there has been a successful claim against arts council England. To pretend this is just a conspiracy theory on GN is incorrect.
Most workplaces are becoming very quickly aware of this.

I'm wondering if trans activists who threaten violence against women, such as Shanu Varma who claims to have a "kill list" of opponents of gender ideology have had their bank accounts withdrawn. One can only hope, but as the reasonable vicar pointed out when his account was withdrawn, amongst the millions of people who have bank accounts will be all manner of criminals including murderers, whilst his transgression was to question, when invited for feedback, whether it was in the bank's remit to promote social engineering as a financial institution when surely their role was to manage money.

Such happenings have been going on for a while particularly in North America where Paypal who are known to have cancelled the accounts of anyone they deem to have a dissenting view on a range of orthodoxies. Trudeau's Canada is probably an example of one of the most illiberal administrations when they took the measure to lock the truckers protesting about mandatory Covid vaccines, out of their own bank accounts.

Galaxy

Oh and the caee against The Green Party is happening very soon.

What’s the Green Party done?

I said on the other thread that this concerns me and from reading these comments it seems it is more widespread than I had at first thought. This is not about Farage, it’s about banks cancelling accounts without giving proper reasons or giving inadequate and unfair reasons. Farage has drawn everyone’s attention to it.

I find it abhorrent that an MP should make allegations against a person who he clearly dislikes, in Parliament, and is unwilling to reiterate these allegations outside Parliament. And this person may well be in government very soon.

Deedas,

I must say I wondered if it was Coutts! I would love to know how much money you must have to bank with them! Iain Dale on LBC devoted the first hour of his programme to the subject of unbanking and loads of people it has happened to. However, political opinions and beliefs is not the bank’s business. I still believe that the accusation against Farage should be tested in the Courts. If there is suspicion only then that is unfair. It was either true or a lie. I would think the same if it was Jeremy Corbyn or George Galloway or even Nicola Sturgeon!!!

The version I heard was that the "Man of the People" was banking with Coutts and they closed his account because he no longer had enough money. No doubt apocryphal but it would have been amusing.

I don't know about the details of this Farage story but the fact that other banks have refused him banking makes me wonder what is on his record regarding monies in/out of his account.
I am not in a position to look into this.

Obviously it is speculation.

I think suspicious funds are generally looked at if noticed and asked about.
I had to prove once where a large sum had come from. My account was blocked until they were satisfied.

It's not nice to have things frozen but surely he could prove everything was legitimate- assuming it was.

MaizieD

I can't say I'm losing any sleep over this.

I'd be interested to know just what he said in his 'two paragraphs'.

But banks have no legal obligation to accept or maintain accounts.

Farage is a different matter. His views have been well known for a long, long time. I doubt that they bothered his bank to any great extent. They will have suspended his accounts because they suspected there was something dodgy about them. We will probably never know the reason, but it won't be the one he is shouting about.

You know this how. So you're happy for banks to suddenly close down a 40 year account , no reason given. Underpants Bryant may have put his cowardly ideas forward.
As for that poor Vicar words fail me. China would be proud of our banking system, shutting peoples accounts because they don't like their politics, or their questions.

MerylStreep

Baggs

How do people with no bank account manage in the modern world? Unbanking looks like a weapon of social engineering to me.

As I said on another thread ^first they came for^

Just so, MS.

Anniel

In Farage’s case I read in the broadsheets that if he cannot bank in UK then he will be forced to live overseas. In todays Times and Telegraph the Government will act to stop the practice of banks closing accounts without any good financial reason. I am disappointed that even one person here would not care about this. I am sure that person would be up in arms if a bank closed the accounts of anyone in authority in the SNP. For me this is a matter of principle. One bank PayPal ( and I am a customer) closed the account of Toby Young, who founded the Free Speech Union but many of us stopped using our PayPal accounts and we managed to get Toby Young’s account reopened. Ofcourse, criminal activity is a good reason to close an acco7nt but the bank should not act on an accusation made in Parliament by an MP who could not stand up his smear in public. He knew he would be sued. I do not have to support the politics of a person who is unbanked but I believe strongly that I will be able to express a lawful point of view without fearing my bank account will be closed!!!

Well said, Annie1

Each customer has the benefit of confidentiality. That’s as it should be.

eazybee

If that is so they can give the reason. Publicly.
It is the refusal to engage in any discussion that is so alarming;
'business-sensitive' is not an answer, and the Reverend was simply told, rude, abusive, violent or discriminatory behaviour not acceptable,so he doesn't even know which one is he is guilty of,(perhaps all four) and who made the decision.

What about client confidentiality? I wouldn’t want my bank telling other people the reasons if they had closed my account down.