[ad_1]
Metro Financial institution has insisted it’s politically impartial after being accused of closing down the Reform UK social gathering’s account due to its assist for Brexit.
The social gathering’s chief Richard Tice believes Reform has been caught up in the identical debanking scandal as his good friend and former UKIP chief Nigel Farage and has written to Metro demanding solutions.
The Treasury has introduced banks can be forced to give customers three months’ notice of account closures and to supply a full clarification of the explanations in response to the controversy triggered by rich non-public financial institution Coutts reducing ties with Mr Farage.
Richard Tice (proper) pictured with fellow Brexiteer Nigel Farage
Mr Tice is a distinguished Brexiteer who was in UKIP previous to establishing the Brexit Celebration, which later grew to become Reform UK. He has revealed Metro Financial institution closed his social gathering’s account in July 2021.
A letter despatched to him on the time offers no purpose.
Mr Tice advised Sky Information: “I used to be suspicious on the time however did not be a part of sufficient of the dots. However it’s crystal clear now what has gone on. I’ve submitted a topic entry request and stay up for seeing it.”
Metro Financial institution stated in an announcement: “Metro Financial institution is and can stay politically impartial and it isn’t our coverage to shut an account as a result of political or private beliefs of a person or organisation. We can not touch upon particular person instances.”
In the meantime, Mr Farage has formally accused the NatWest Group of passing his personal and financial data to the BBC.
He has additionally complained to the Data Commissioner about the best way through which his private particulars have been dealt with by NatWest and its subsidiary, Coutts Financial institution.
A letter from his legal professionals to the Data Commissioner’s Workplace (ICO) mentions a BBC information report which claimed he was shedding his account at Coutts as a result of he had fallen beneath a required £1m threshold.
Mr Farage made a topic entry request to Coutts to find why his account was being closed.
He revealed he had obtained a 40-page document exhibiting he met the “standards for industrial retention” however Coutts – a financial institution additionally utilized by the Royal Household – wanted him to leave because of his views, which ranged from his place on LGBTQ+ rights to his friendship with former US president Donald Trump.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Mr Farage tweeted on Saturday: “The BBC report offers rise to the inescapable conclusion that NatWest Group offered the media with confidential data (and private information) concerning my monetary affairs.
“This could represent a severe information breach and, worse nonetheless, disregard consumer confidentiality by the financial institution.
“My authorized workforce have written to the ICO asking them to analyze and take motion.”
Learn extra:
Are banks allowed to close accounts?
Key points from Coutts’ dossier on Nigel Farage
The BBC has admitted a part of its reporting was inaccurate in mild of the brand new proof, in a submit on its webpage devoted to corrections and clarifications.
On Thursday, NatWest Group CEO Dame Alison Rose wrote to Mr Farage to apologise.
However the letter from his authorized workforce to the ICO provides: “Conspicuously, she didn’t apologise for any data that had been handed to the media citing insufficient funds as the rationale for the closure of his accounts.”
[ad_2]
Source link
