After three former Brexit Party MEPS, including ex-leader Nigel Farage, revealed that their banks had closed their accounts, members of the public also began sharing their stories, prompting a government investigation.
Most high street banks are signed up to Stonewall diversity schemes | The Telegraph | Dominic Penna & Simon Foy:
July 3, 2023 - "The majority of High Street banks are members of diversity schemes run by the controversial charity Stonewall, The Telegraph can reveal. Lenders are facing questions over their links to the charity amid a backlash over closing the bank accounts of some people with gender-critical views.... A vicar who questioned his building society’s Pride branding had his account closed, while a Scottish blogger believes action was taken by his bank over his stance on gender issues.
"Stonewall’s Diversity Champions scheme includes guidance to employers on gender-neutral spaces and the use of pronouns. The company also runs a top 100 index that measures employers on diversity and inclusion.... A number of high-profile organisations including the BBC, Channel 4, the Cabinet Office, and the Department of Health have stopped working with Stonewall amid concerns over its schemes.... The Information Commissioner has previously found that the index and the Diversity Champions scheme allowed Stonewall to exercise a 'significant degree of influence over the policies that participating members operate'.
"Last week Nigel Farage, the former Brexit Party leader, revealed that his bank had closed his account, and two former Brexit Party MEPs revealed that their accounts were also closed. Since then, members of the public have accused banks of shutting down their accounts. Among them was Rev Richard Fothergill, a customer of Yorkshire Building Society for 17 years, whose account was closed days after he wrote to the bank to complain about its public messaging during Pride month [see video].
"Stuart Campbell, who runs the pro-independence Wings Over Scotland blog, had his accounts shut by First Direct, owned by HSBC, which he believes was over his stance on gender issues. Barclays recently had to pay out £21,500 in compensation to the Core Issues Trust, a Christian ministry, after shutting its account over its stance on gender identity.
"Banks are facing pressure from the Government to explain account closures, and Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, has ordered an investigation. However, UK Finance, the industry trade body, defended the rights of banks to shut accounts as they see fit, arguing that lenderonly do so after conducting an 'extensive review'.
"Tide, an online business bank, became the latest to face questions on Monday as the hosts of Triggernometary, a free speech YouTube show and podcast, said they would take it to the Financial Ombudsman after their account was closed.... Tide said any decisions on account closures had 'no connection whatsoever to a member’s beliefs' and that it was 'categorically false' to suggest otherwise.
"Craig Mackinlay, the Tory MP for South Thanet, said he was concerned that ... 'too much discretionary power now sits with some activist banking staff'.... On Monday, Mr Farage said there was 'no coincidence' about banks signing up for Stonewall membership and shutting down the accounts of those who were gender critical.
"A spokesman for Stonewall said that it did not pressure banks on operational decisions, adding: 'There are no requirements in the Diversity Champions programme over how members engage with any customers, and we do not seek to influence operational decisions for any Diversity Champion on matters such as these.'"
Read moe: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/03/most-high-street-banks-signed-up-stonewall-diversity/
Yorkshire Building Society CLOSES Vicar's bank account after airing views on bank's Pride agenda | GBNews | June 1, 2023:
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