Gina Miller: True and Fair political party explained, net worth as Monzo account closed, husband - who is she?

Anti-Brexit activist Gina Miller was informed that the bank account for her political organisation would be closed abruptly and without explanation.

The reason why Miller's True and Fair party account would be terminated in September was initially not disclosed by Monzo, but following the BBC contacting the bank about the situation, an explanation was given.

Following the recent example of former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, concerns over so-called "debanking" have grown recently. Farage obtained documents which revealed that his political views had been discussed by Coutts bank in their decision to close his account.

The fallout from the row has led to both the boss of NatWest, which owns Coutts, and the chief executive of Coutts stepping down from their positions. But who exactly is Gina Miller, and why is her Monzo account closing? Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Gina Miller?

Gina Miller is a British businesswoman and anti-Brexit campaigner who gained significant attention for her involvement in legal battles surrounding the UK's decision to leave the European Union. She was born in Guyana and moved to the UK at a young age.

Miller first came to prominence in 2016 when she launched a legal challenge against the UK government's plan to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty without a parliamentary vote.

Article 50 is the mechanism that officially starts the process of a country's withdrawal from the EU, and Miller argued that the government could not bypass Parliament and that lawmakers should have a say in the Brexit process.

In a landmark ruling, the UK Supreme Court sided with Miller, requiring parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50.

Her legal challenge made her a prominent figure in the debate surrounding Brexit, and she faced both praise and criticism for her actions. While some saw her as a champion of parliamentary sovereignty and democratic accountability, others considered her an obstacle to the will of the British people as expressed through the Brexit referendum.

Various online source estimate her net worth to be anywhere between $1 - $5 million (£800,000 - £3.9 million).

What is the True and Fair Campaign?

Miller's True and Fair Campaign was not directly related to Brexit, but instead focused on promoting transparency and accountability in the UK's investment management industry.

It was established by Miller and her husband, Alan Miller, in 2012, and its primary objective was to advocate for greater clarity in the fees and charges associated with investment products and services.

The campaign argued that investors deserved to know the true costs and performance of their investments to make informed decisions.

In September 2021, Miller launched a political party, the True and Fair Party. In a statement she said her new party "champions greater transparency, accountability, competency than existing political parties provide".

The party was formally launched in January 2022, and a month later, it was announced that the Renew Party - a centrist party set up in 2017 to provide an alternative for moderate voters in the wake of the EU membership referendum - had merged its operations into the True and Fair Party.

Why is her Monzo account being closed?

When the BBC contacted Monzo about the situation, the bank responded by saying that it did not permit the opening of political party accounts and had done so in error. The experience would have been "frustrating for the customer and we're sorry for that," it said.

Miller said that numerous banks had rejected her political party's request to open a bank account, but in November 2021, she was able to successfully open an account with Monzo.

However, Miller received an email from the bank earlier this month that said: "Unfortunately we can't tell you why we're closing your account. We can't share the specific reason for closing your account. As a bank we regularly review and sometimes close accounts as part of our legal and regulatory responsibilities."

With Miller's consent, the BBC approached Monzo about the situation, and the bank responded with an explanation. A spokesperson said: "Like lots of banks, we do not accept any political parties as Monzo Business customers in the same way that we don't currently accept trusts, clubs and a range of other organisations.

"In this case, the account wasn't originally categorised as a political party. After this was identified and corrected, the customer was given notice that the account would be closed. We recognise that this experience will have been frustrating for the customer and we're sorry for that."