Farage banks on Lloyds in wake of NatWest account closure row

Published

2 years ago

October 13, 2023

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Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader, is to start banking with Britain’s biggest high street lender, months after a row over the closure of his previous accounts resulted in the ousting of one of the industry’s top executives.

Sky News can reveal that Mr Farage has opened a number of accounts at Lloyds Banking Group, which owns the Halifax and Lloyds networks as well as wealth management services.

The decision, which is said to have been approved by Lloyds executives, marks the latest development in a situation which has sparked a series of ministerial interventions, regulatory probes and consequences for some of the country’s leading bank executives.

Speaking to Sky News on Friday morning, Mr Farage confirmed the move, saying: “After being refused banking facilities by ten lenders, I am pleased to say that Lloyds has opened accounts for me.

“It is good to see that at least one high street bank is not politically prejudiced.”

The news of Mr Farage’s decision to move his banking arrangements to Lloyds comes ahead of the conclusion of an independent review commissioned by NatWest into the debanking scandal which engulfed it during the summer.

Travers Smith, a City law firm, has submitted a report to NatWest’s board about the row which cost Dame Alison Rose her job.

The former NatWest boss was effectively forced to quit in July when Downing Street made it clear that it had lost confidence in her ability to do the job.

Shortly before her exit, she had issued a grovelling apology to Mr Farage in a bid to keep her job.

She had acknowledged being the source of an erroneous and damaging BBC story about the influential GB News broadcaster and former politician, which claimed that his accounts had been shut for solely commercial reasons.

It transpired following a subject access request submitted by Mr Farage that Coutts and NatWest executives had criticised his political views and a number of public comments attributed to him.

An internal report produced by the bank also confirmed that he continued to meet its commercial eligibility criteria.

Mr Farage has since initiated legal action against the taxpayer-backed lender, although the status of that was unclear on Friday.

He has also submitted a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office about the disclosure of his personal information, and is awaiting more detailed information held about him by NatWest.

Dame Alison was not the only executive to leave in the aftermath of the row.

Peter Flavel, the boss of wealth management arm Coutts, also left within days of Paul Thwaite being installed as her interim successor.

Mr Farage said that Coutts had offered to keep his accounts open, but he insisted that his focus was on securing answers from the company.

Sir Howard Davies, NatWest’s outgoing chairman, was also heavily criticised by the former UKIP leader for his handling of the scandal.

The Financial Conduct Authority was told by the Treasury to conduct an immediate review of the debanking issue, but was itself lambasted by Mr Farage last month when it concluded that there was no evidence that politicians were being denied accounts because of their views.

Mr Farage pointed out that its review failed to include the period covering the closure of his accounts.

A Lloyds spokesman told Sky News: “We do not comment on customer relationships.”

UK

Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

Published

10 hours ago

October 12, 2025

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of two children in Stafford.

Police were called to a home on Corporation Street at around 7.30am on Sunday by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Two children were pronounced dead at the scene, Staffordshire Police said.

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said: “We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives.

“We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.

“We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community. We don’t believe there is wider threat to the public at this time.”

The 43-year-old woman, who is from the Stafford area, remains in custody.

The force has not confirmed the ages of the two children. Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers, police said.

UK

Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

Published

11 hours ago

October 12, 2025

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Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

A man has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family.

Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton, south London, was arrested last Monday, but it was only made public on Sunday.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody, the Met Police said.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between June and October.

Sir Ed, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, lives in southwest London with his wife, Emily, their 17-year-old son John, and his younger sister Ellie.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife.

“He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 7 October and was remanded into custody. He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 14 October.

“He was arrested on Monday, 6 October in relation to the offences, which are alleged to have taken place between June and October.”

A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “We cannot provide any details at this time, Ed’s number one priority is the safety of his family.”

UK

Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

Published

22 hours ago

October 12, 2025

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Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in prison.

Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year jail term for multiple sexual offences, including serious crimes against young children and babies at HMP Wakefield, in West Yorkshire.

He was attacked with a knife by another inmate on Saturday morning, sources have confirmed.

West Yorkshire Police said two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene after prison staff reported the assault to police.

The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the incident, sources added.

A Prison Service spokesperson said they could not comment while the police investigate.

Watkins was previously stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023, suffering non life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates before being freed by prison officers six hours later.

He was sentenced in December 2013 to 29 years in prison, with a further six years on licence, after admitting 13 sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.

He also encouraged a second fan to abuse her child during a webcam chat and secretly stashed child sexual abuse videos, some of which he had made himself.

At the time, police described him as a “committed, organised paedophile”.

Having found fame in Welsh rock band Lostprophets, Watkins was arrested after his Pontypridd home was searched on orders of a drug warrant in September 2012.

A large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized during the search.

When sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, the singer was told he was being given an extended sentence – and a judge said his crimes “plumbed new depths of depravity”.

After being caught with a mobile phone behind bars in 2019, he told a court that he was locked up with “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.