More Britons Raise The Alarm Over Financial Deplatforming

British banks have been accused of shutting out customers due to their political and social opinions. The issue hit the spotlight after prominent pro-Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage claimed that his bank plans to close his personal and business accounts. Farage did not disclose the bank’s name but it is believed to be Coutts, a venerable institution over three centuries old and part of the NatWest Group, which is almost 39% owned by the British taxpayer. Notably, First Direct, another bank, has also been accused of closing the account of journalist Stuart Campbell, founder of the pro-Scottish independence blog Wings over Scotland. Campbell said that his account was terminated because of his opinions on gender and sex, particularly his statement that “Women don’t have penises.” First Direct stated that decisions to end customer relationships are not based on individual beliefs. Farage made a comparison between the UK and “communist China,” expressing outrage at the banks’ actions and mentioning that his family members’ accounts were also shut. He intimated that the banking industry has become politicized and voiced concerns that anyone could have their accounts closed due to a social media post or opinion disliked by banks. “We are going down a road where anybody in Britain could say something on Facebook or Twitter that a bank doesn’t like and lose their accounts,” Farage told MailOnline. Journalist Toby Young, another figure in the media landscape, reported that a customer claimed the Yorkshire Building Society planned to close his account after questioning why…More Britons Raise The Alarm Over Financial Deplatforming