No evidence Coutts closed accounts due to political views, report says

Independent review, launched after Nigel Farage’s complaints, finds bank may have breached procedural rules

An independent review has found no evidence that NatWest Group’s private bank Coutts has been closing customer accounts due to their political views, but that it may have breached rules by failing to give due notice or explain why they were being shut.

A report compiled by external lawyers hired by NatWest in the wake of a dispute with former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, said their team “found no evidence of discrimination in any of the exit cases, including no evidence of a customer’s account being escalated for exit, or ultimately being exited, due to their political views or party-political affiliations, or any other protected characteristic”.