Building society ‘closed account after buyer questioned Pride flags’

A constructing society has stated that it closes clients’ accounts in the event that they have interaction in “rude” or “discriminatory” behaviour amid claims it closed the account of a shopper who questioned using Pride flags on its web site.

And one other on-line financial institution allegedly closed the account of a gender-critical journalist who acknowledged that ‘Women do not have penises’. First Direct, a phone and web based mostly retail financial institution division of HSBC, wouldn’t touch upon the case – however stated “decisions to end a customer relationship” are “absolutely not based on individual beliefs”.

It comes after Nigel Farage claimed his financial institution accounts have been closed. The outstanding Leave campaigner, prompt this might be as a consequence of “prejudice” as a result of the “corporate world” has not forgiven him for Brexit.

Now, Yorkshire Building Society has allegedly closed the account of a buyer after they requested why its web site was festooned with Pride flags. The Building Society declined to touch upon the declare, however denied that it closed clients’ accounts “based on different opinions regarding beliefs”.

Journalist and former Conservative MP Toby Young, from the Free Speech Union, made the declare about Yorkshire Building Society on GB News. He stated the constructing society invited suggestions and the shopper requested why it was “taking sides” on “contentious” points.

Young described banks closing accounts as “chilling”, “sinister” and “like something from communist China”. However, a spokesperson for Yorkshire Building Society stated: “We do not close savings accounts based on different opinions regarding beliefs.

“We would solely make the troublesome resolution to shut a financial savings account if a buyer is impolite, abusive, violent or discriminates in any means, based mostly on the particular details and behavior in every case.”

Meanwhile, journalist Stuart Campbell, who runs the pro-Scottish independence blog Wings over Scotland, suggested his accounts with First Direct were closed because of his views on gender and sex.

In a foul-mouthed rant on Twitter, @WingsScotland asked: “Was it to do with Wings’ very public stance on gender, after the fiasco of PayPal pulling their companies from the Free Speech Union and different comparable incidents from woke monetary service suppliers? Who is aware of? But it stinks.”

The @WingsScotland tweet threat said: “I’ve banked with them (First Direct) for 25+ years, however final week I used to be in Sainsbury’s shopping for some milk… and my card received declined. I rang them up, and after over an hour on maintain, they advised me all my accounts had been cancelled.

“It obviously came as something of a shock… so I asked why on Earth such a thing would have happened, and they point-blank refused to give any reason. hey claimed to have sent me a letter – normal post, not Recorded Delivery – two months previously (which I’d never seen), and also an email which I didn’t get either (I checked my spam filters, nothing) and which they acknowledged was marked on their system as unread.”

“It’s staggering to me that in a world increasingly shunning the use of cash, a bank can leave a person completely financially stranded like this, give no reason for it, and not even be legally obliged to make sure they know it’s happening.”

A First Direct spokesperson advised the MailOnline they’d not touch upon particular person circumstances. However, they stated: “In general terms, decisions to end a customer relationship are not taken lightly, but are absolutely not based on individual beliefs.”

Farage this week claimed his financial institution accounts have been closed, including that life within the UK is changing into “completely unlivable”. The Former Brexit Party chief stated on Twitter that this amounted to “serious political persecution”, suggesting the choice was made as a consequence of his involvement within the 2016 European Union referendum.

He stated in a video: “I got a phone call a couple of months ago to say ‘we are closing your accounts’, I asked ‘why’, no reason was given. I was told a letter would come which will explain everything, the letter came through and simply said ‘we are closing your accounts, we want to finish it all by a date’, which is around about now.

“I didn’t quite know what to make of it, I complained, I emailed the chairman, a lackey phoned me to say that it was a commercial decision, which I have to say, I don’t believe for a single moment.

“So I thought, well there we are, I’ll have to go and find a different bank, I’ve been to seven banks, asked them all ‘could I have a personal and a business account?’, and the answer has been no in every single case.

“There is nothing irregular or unusual about what I do, the payments that go in and come out every month are pretty much the same, I maintain in my business account quite a big positive cash balance, which I guess with interest rates where they are is pretty good for the bank too.”

Mr Farage, a outstanding Leave campaigner, prompt this might be as a consequence of “prejudice” as a result of the “corporate world” has in all probability not forgiven him for Brexit.

The former Ukip chief went on: “Without a bank account you effectively become a non-person, you don’t actually exist, it’s like the worst regimes of the mid 20th century, be they in Russia or Germany. You literally become a non-person and you don’t anymore actually have a right to be entitled to a bank account.

“Now there is a possibility for a fintech company that I could find some means of receiving and paying money, which could be a little bit of a lifeline, but it’s not a bank account, because I won’t be able to earn any interest on positive cash balances. I won’t be able to borrow money – if I need to at any point- or take out a mortgage should I so desire, that will be completely denied to me, I won’t be to have a debit card linked directly to my account.

“I won’t really be able to exist and function in a modern 21st century Britain.”

He added: “I’m beginning to think that perhaps life in the United Kingdom is now becoming completely unlivable because of the levels of prejudice against me.”