Nigel Farage

[Rory Bluelow]

Yes who are so left-wing they chose to work for a private bank and serve the interests of the uber rich.

Seems very unlikely.

To be honest I think the fault lines dividing our society no longer conform to the old “left” and “right”. It seems to have got a lot more complicated than that but maybe I’m just getting old !

 

[west didsblue]

I certainly agree that Farage is a hugely divisive hate figure but I see it the other way round oldius. Banks and indeed Companies generally should not punish people based on their distaste for views that fall within the law. There’s no commercial risk, Banking is, and should be, a private matter. Until this fuss I’d associated Farage with many things but never Coutts ! We’ve made huge progress on making discrimination of many kinds illegal and protecting minorities; it’s a mark of a civilised society and must include people holding views that are legal but you might not agree with. I’m disappointed that there is reticence to back a basic tenet that says all people are free to hold views that are within the law whether others find them acceptable or not.

Who has said that there is a reticence to back a basic tenet about holding certain views?
This issue is about whether a private organisation has the right to choose who to do business with, and in this case an alternative facility was offered by another business within the same banking group (that happens to be part owned by the nation and therefore subject to government influence). The only reason it’s an issue is because Farage made it one and a weak government under the influence of the far right stuck their oar in to distract from other more important issues.

 

[halfmist]

It is an excellent point.
Imagine I own a cafe. It is known for great coffee and superb service. It begins to be frequented by members of the National Front (I am not equating Farage here). As a consequence, the regular clientele decide to go elsewhere.

Any commercial enterprise is free to have clients with a range of political views. Clients are equally free to choose if they continue to support that commercial enterprise and this is why there is convergence between the commercial and political.

I am certainly one who increasingly supports companies whose virtues/ethics align with my own.

Fair doos and I agree I tend to support organisations that I see as good causes.
I am not too sure about the cafe comparison though.
It’s a very personal business and you would probably sacrifice some profit for what you see as nicer clientele using your personal preferences.
With a Bank the position is different.
It makes very little difference to the other customers whether Farage is a customer or not.
I haven’t heard of mass resignations.
Here subjective decisions have been made by probably 1 person based on someone’s public persona and the Bank have then lied to cover their tracks when questions were asked.

 

[oldius]

Fair doos and I agree I tend to support organisations that I see as good causes.
I am not too sure about the cafe comparison though.
It’s a very personal business and you would probably sacrifice some profit for what you see as nicer clientele using your personal preferences.
With a Bank the position is different.
It makes very little difference to the other customers whether Farage is a customer or not.
I haven’t heard of mass resignations.
Here subjective decisions have been made by probably 1 person based on someone’s public persona and the Bank have then lied to cover their tracks when questions were asked.

That could be true. I suspect somewhere in the middle lies the truth - he is a high-profile client and possibly the subject to more scrutiny than others. Naturally, he makes the capital he can from the situation, as do his supporters.

The biggest issue for me is that this is completely unworthy of the column inches it has generated.

 

[halfmist]

Of course not. I equated commercial reasons with potential PR damage.
A business refusing clients based on religion and skin colour would rightly damage its own reputation and fail commercially. Accepting Farage comes with PR risk.

What about Prince Andrew.
It said on the news Coutts have a cash machine installed at Buckingham Palace no doubt he will have an account.
Is he a suitable PR risk

 

[oldius]

What about Prince Andrew.
It said on the news Coutts have a cash machine installed at Buckingham Palace no doubt he will have an account.
Is he a suitable PR risk

I wouldn't touch him with a bargepole myself, but I have no idea of his banking arrangements.

 

[halfmist]

Who has said that there is a reticence to back a basic tenet about holding certain views?
This issue is about whether a private organisation has the right to choose who to do business with, and in this case an alternative facility was offered by another business within the same banking group (that happens to be part owned by the nation and therefore subject to government influence). The only reason it’s an issue is because Farage made it one and a weak government under the influence of the far right stuck their oar in to distract from other more important issues.

It’s these repeated conspiracy theories on every subject that gets me.
They are churned out for every event.

 

[halfmist]

I wouldn't touch him with a bargepole myself, but I have no idea of his banking arrangements.

I think we can safely say he has.
Woe betide the employee who said he is a bad PR risk.
Orf with his head

 

[MillionMilesAway]

It is an excellent point.
Imagine I own a cafe. It is known for great coffee and superb service. It begins to be frequented by members of the National Front (I am not equating Farage here). As a consequence, the regular clientele decide to go elsewhere.

Any commercial enterprise is free to have clients with a range of political views. Clients are equally free to choose if they continue to support that commercial enterprise and this is why there is convergence between the commercial and political.

I am certainly one who increasingly supports companies whose virtues/ethics align with my own.

As long as it's within the law.
Obviously Farage bleated about that cakeshop in Northern Ireland claiming that they should be allowed to choose.
Makes his position on Coutts seem a bit inconsistent.

Also, as he is the one who made public that Coutts dropped him, I'm not sure other similar institutions will be rushing to help. I wonder if he'll ever name all those other banks who've refused him (was it 9 now?) but apparently aren't to be attacked in the media.

 

[meltonblue]

I am sure it will all come out in the Enquiry

I highly doubt it, as far as I’m aware the enquiry is around the regulations overall rather than investigating anything specifically about this.

Might get something from the ICO though.