Nigel Farage has lashed out at NatWest after the bank said there is no evidence of discrimination due to political views in Coutts’ decision to close customer accounts.
An independent review examined 84 account closures over a two-year period, about a 10 per cent sample of all the relevant cases in that time.
Coutts acknowledged there are “lessons to be learned” from the way it communicates with customers, despite the verdict.
Speaking on GB News, Farage blasted the review, suggesting law firm Travers Smith had a political bias.
Nigel Farage has been left frustrated by Coutts again
GB NEWS
“Total baloney”, he told Camilla Tominey.
“You only had to read the subject access request which clearly said I ‘did not align with the values of the bank’.
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Nigel Farage spoke to Camilla Tominey
GB NEWS
“Travers Smith of course, headed up their emeritus boss is somebody who described Brexiteers as xenophobes and racists.
“I mean, this is the big club, isn’t it?
“It’s Howard Davies’s mates being called in to do a review.
“They did say that many of the procedures that were being followed were very subjective and not being done correctly.”
The investigation was launched in July after former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said the high-net-worth bank unfairly closed his account because it did not agree with his political views.
Mohammad Syed, chief executive of Coutts, said: “Although Travers Smith confirm that, in general, decisions were appropriate and that there was no evidence of discrimination, it is clear there are lessons to be learned.
“This report reaffirms that there were a number of shortcomings in our approach to account closures at Coutts and, in particular, in the quality and consistency of our communications.
“The experience of some of our customers fell short of what they should expect and we apologise to them.
“We are committed to implementing all of the recommendations made by Travers Smith, including comprehensively reviewing and updating exit and communication processes, so that we deliver a better, more consistent experience for all our customers.”
Former chief executive of the banking group, Alison Rose, left the company in July after admitting to a “serious error of judgement” in discussing Farage’s Coutts account with a BBC journalist.
Coutts chief executive Peter Flavel also stepped down following the debacle.
