Nigel Farage bank: has ex-politician had his bank accounts shut down, is it because of Brexit - what happened?

Nigel Farage, a former politician and leader of UKIP, has claimed that he is being driven out of the UK after a major national banking establishment closed down his bank accounts.

The GB News presenter blamed the 'pro-Remain institution' - where he has been a customer for more than 40 years - for taking revenge out on him for the role he played in Brexit.

What has Nigel Farage said?

Farage posted a six-minute video on Twitter on Thursday (29 June) where he said how he is being made to feel like a "non person" after several different lenders have refused him from opening personal and business accounts. He explained fears that he would soon be unable to borrow money, obtain a mortgage or have a debit or credit card linked to a UK account which could force him to leave the country.

In the statement, Farage noted: "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.

The former leader of the UK Independence Party continued: "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. 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.”

Why have Nigel Farage's bank accounts been shut down?

Farage is yet to publicly name the bank which has allegedly brought a grinding halt to his financial presence in the UK, but the ex-politician claims a spokesperson for the institution said it was a "commercial decision", an explanation that Farage does not believe is true. Instead the 59-year-old thinks it's a sign of British banks delivering "serious political persecution", acting out revenge for his role in the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.

The UK left the EU following a referendum in 2016 which saw 17,410,742 (51.9%) people vote to leave - a campaign led and championed by Farage. The arch-Brexiteer explained how "the corporate world will never, ever forgive [him]" for his influence in the vote.

Its effect on the country is widespread and complex, leading to the ever surging cost of living crisis that is cash-strapping millions. A study by the Centre for European Reform revealed that the UK economy is estimated to be 5.5% poorer now than what it would have been had it stayed in the EU.

Farage believes it is Brexit that has led to the closure of his personal and business bank accounts, adding: "They know, if I hadn’t done what I did, with the help of thousands of people in our people’s army, there never would have been a referendum, let alone a victory. I am the one that is to carry the blame."

He also went on to raise a few other theories to try and reason why the bank came to its decision, the first because of his position as a "politically exposed person" which is known to drive up costs for banks, as well as because of allegations that he had received large sums of around £550,000 from the Russian government.

Farage detailed: “A third reason, a few months ago in the House of Commons, Sir Chris Bryant [Labour MP] said, using Parliamentary privilege, that I had received large sums of money directly from the Russian government. The truth is, I did not receive a penny from any source with even a link to Russia. I wonder whether that is what’s given me part of the problem.”