Nigel Farage launches website over de-banking 'scandal'

Nigel Farage says he has launched a website to stand up for people who have been denied bank accounts after the row over his Coutts account closure.

He said on social media he will "fight back against the big banks who have let us down", calling it a "scandal".

It comes after Mr Farage obtained a report from the bank which indicated his political views were considered as a factor in his account closure.

The row led to the resignation of two bank bosses last week.

Dame Alison Rose, chief executive of NatWest Group, quit after saying she had made a "serious error of judgment" in speaking to a BBC journalist about Mr Farage's Coutts account.

Peter Flavel, the boss of the NatWest-owned private bank for the wealthy, Coutts, also quit.

Despite facing calls to resign, NatWest chairman Sir Howard Davies, has vowed to remain in post to ensure the bank's stability.

Mr Farage said in late June his account had been shut and he had not been given a reason. He did not name the bank at the time.

The BBC initially reported Mr Farage's account was closed because he no longer met the wealth threshold for Coutts, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The BBC has since apologised to the former Ukip leader for the inaccurate story.

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Launching the AccountClosed.org website via a video posted on social media, Mr Farage said: "Most people who have this happen to them feel helpless. There's no-one to speak for them.

"And I think what's emerging is a major national scandal. You can't live without a bank account in the 21st Century."

The campaign is described on the website as being for individuals and small medium businesses "who have faced unjust treatment from banks and financial services companies, particularly when their accounts have been abruptly closed and essential services withdrawn".

The law states that every person in the UK has a legal right to hold a basic bank account that gives them the ability to receive and make payments.

Legislation says a bank "must not discriminate against consumers legally resident in the United Kingdom by reason of their nationality or place of residence or by reason of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion".

On Friday, Sir Howard said NatWest had appointed City law firm Travers Smith to conduct an independent investigation into the closure of Mr Farage's account and how the information surrounding the issue had been handled.

Former prime minister Liz Truss said she was "appalled" at the treatment of Mr Farage.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, she said: "The saga shows how a powerful technocracy presides over an increasingly opaque system, while elected politicians - in particular those politicians whose views do not find favour at London dinner parties - are treated with suspicion."