Brexiteers and gender-critical vicar have bank accounts pulled.
Yorkshire Building Society customer's account was closed days after writing to the bank to complain about its messaging during Pride month
Urgent calls to change financial regulations are growing as more people find themselves the victim of banking “cancel culture”, due to their political and social beliefs.
Reverend Richard Fothergill, a customer of Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) for 17 years, had his account closed days after writing to the bank to complain about its public messaging during Pride month.
“I wrote to them on their feedback portal making two points: one was ‘is this really a good use of your time, you’re not here for social engineering’ and [secondly] said I have serious ethical problems with the transsexual element, and the implications of broadcasting that to young children”.
In a letter he received last week, he said he was told his relationship with YBS had “irrevocably broken down” and that the company holds a “zero tolerance approach to discrimination”.
“They didn’t justify it - they said ‘your comments will not stand’. I think its fairly sinister and we’re in very dangerous water when banks can pick and choose who they’re going to do business with based on prejudicial whims”.
A spokesman for YBS said the company never closes savings accounts based on different opinions or beliefs, adding an account was only ever closed if a customer is “rude, abusive, violent or discriminates in any way”.
Toby Young, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, said the withdrawal of banking services from people for purely political reasons is “a new and sinister form of cancel culture”.
He said: “It’s the kind of thing you’d expect in Communist China, not a supposedly free country like ours.
“The Treasury urgently needs to change the financial regulations so this kind of thing cannot continue to happen.”
In June, Barclays Bank was forced to pay over £20,000 compensation to Christian ministry groups, after closing their accounts due to pressure from LGBTQ+ groups, who were concerned about conversion therapy practices.
Dr Mike Davidson, director of Christian identity and sexual preference support organisation Core Issues Trust, launched a legal claim against the bank, supported by the Christian Legal Centre.
Before the case was due to be heard at the High Court, Barclays made a settlement offer of £21,500 in compensation, with legal costs to follow, which Dr Davidson has accepted this week.
Henrik Overgaard Nielsen, a former MEP for the Brexit Party, was informed his account with MetroBank would be closed.
In a post on Twitter, Mr Nielsen said he had a stable income, had never owed MetroBank any money and was not in any financial difficulty. His daughter was also refused a mortgage, and Mr Nielsen suspects this is because he was a guarantor.
Baroness Claire Fox, director of the think tank Academy of Ideas, said she had had the same experience and “suspected political” motivation.
A Metro Bank spokesperson said the bank is and will remain “politically neutral”.
“We regularly review our customer accounts and close those which are no longer commercially viable,” they said. “The decision to close any account is made for commercial reasons only as a business as usual decision.”
Earlier this week, Nigel Farage said he may be forced to leave Britain after his bank closed his accounts and others refused his custom.
The former UKIP leader said his personal and business accounts with a major retail bank have been closed because of a “commercial decision” and other high street firms have refused to allow him to transfer his funds to them.
Mr Farage told The Telegraph he may have been the victim of “blatant corporate prejudice” because of his campaigning for Brexit, or fallen foul of “politically exposed person” rules designed to lower banks’ exposure to bribery and money-laundering. DT.
