Nigel Farage has said life in Britain is “becoming completely unlivable” after claiming his bank accounts were closed in revenge for Brexit.
The former UKIP leader said the banking group he has been with for 43 years phoned him two months ago to say “we are closing your accounts”.
Mr Farage described the bank as a “subsidiary of a big banking group with a very prestigious name”, but said he “would not name them just yet”.
The arch-Brexiteer said the bank’s chairman claimed the move was “a commercial decision”, but that he believed it was “serious political persecution”.
In a six-minute rant, posted on Twitter, Mr Farage said British banks are “part of the big corporate structures who did not want Brexit to happen”. He claimed to have subsequently been denied personal and business accounts by seven other banks.
“The corporate world will never, ever forgive me,” he added.
Mr Farage said his role in the campaign which saw Britain leave the European Union was a “possible reason” why his accounts had been shut down.
Nigel Farage said that without a bank account ‘you don’t actually exist’— (Reuters)
“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,” he said.
Mr Farage added: “I am the one that is to carry the blame.”
The now GB News presenter said that without a bank account you “effectively become a non-person”.
“You don’t actually exist,” he claimed. He said he may be able to process payments with the help of a financial technology firm, but that he would not be able to access a debit card, earn interest on his deposits or take out a mortgage.
“I won’t really be able to exist and function in a modern 21st century Britain,” he said.
“I am beginning to think that perhaps life in the United Kingdom is now becoming completely unlivable because of the levels of prejudice against me,” Mr Farage added.
The issue may “fundamentally affect” Mr Farage’s future living in the UK, he said.
Mr Farage suggested other reasons for his accounts being closed could include him being categorised as a “politically exposed person”, which drives up costs for banks.
He added: “A third reason, a few months ago in the House of Commons, Sir Chris Bryant… 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.”
