Policing speech isn’t the business of banks
The TelegraphJul 03, 2023
British politician Nigel Farage has had his account at the private bank Coutts closed, amid wider concerns that UK banks are restricting services dependent on the political views of their customers.
According to the BBC, Farage fell below the financial threshold needed to continue his account at Coutts and has subsequently been offered a standard account at NatWest, Coutts' owner.
Farage is not the first right-wing political figure to face censorship by the banks. Examples associated with Reform UK and the Reclaim Party further highlight the assaults on the fundamental freedom of speech that are not only visible in banks but also in universities, corporations, media regulators, and more. While many on the left are laughing at Farage's issues, such a flippant response ignores the real danger these sorts of actions can pose to integral pillars of UK democracy.
Despite a plethora of claims from Farage that he is a target of the anti-Brexit corporate establishment, his problems lie in the reality that the politician simply isn't rich enough to continue being a member of Coutts. The headline-grabbing claims of this controversial populist have proved too lucrative for tabloid publications to ignore — the press must engage in proper journalistic scrutiny before simply parroting the misleading commentary of formerly-relevant public figures.