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Nigel Farage branded ‘sketchy crackpot’ in secret NatWest emails disclosed after de-banking scandal

The sniggering remarks handed over to the former Ukip leaders shone light on conversations among staff members who joked he had been “debanked” by Coutts

Archie Mitchell
Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:49 EDT
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'A sick joke': Nigel Farage blasts £2.4m payout to ex-NatWest boss Alison Rose

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Nigel Farage claims a “woke brigade” is marching through public and private companies after emails revealed NatWest staff gloated about the closure of his bank account in a series of sniggering internal messages.

The crowing remarks were handed over to the former Ukip leaders through a subject access request, and shone light on conversations among staff members who joked he had been “debanked” by Coutts, a NatWest subsidiary, and that they hoped it “knocked him down a peg or two.”

In an angry tirade agains the bank, Mr Farage also revealed the internal documents referred to him a “crackpot”, “sketchy” and “a fool”.

The internal gossip followed the closure of Mr Farage’s Coutt’s account, which he claims was a politically motivated decision.

Mr Farage was also described in one of the emails as an “awful human being”, while another said they would have paid a significant sum to have been the one to tell the GB News presenter his account was being shut down.

A third said: “I’d throw a milkshake at him if I was approached to open an account for him.”

In one exchange, published by the Daily Telegraph, an employee points to Mr Farage claiming NatWest has a “political agenda”.

A colleague replies: “No it’s just you are an awful human being Nigel Farage lol. He’s so politically relevant right now. Like who even are you anymore.”

The colleague goes on to mock the Brexiteer’s past attempts to portray himself as a man of the people, saying it is “good that an ‘everyman’ banked at Coutts”.

Following the publication Mr Farage called for former NatWest boss Dame Alison Rose, who quit over her role in the scandal, to have her multi million pound severance pay deal scrapped.

“This is the culture that the queen of woke, Dame Alison Rose, brought into the head office and throughout the Bank of NatWest,” he said.

And Mr Farage called for an investigation into all the staff who had made mean comments about him.

But he told GB News: “It does not hurt at all. I am so used to the illiberalism of the so-called liberals, that I can deal with it. It is horrible stuff.

“But it all goes to show the arrogance of those in power, the march of the woke brigade through our public and private corporations.

“I have the honour to be the first person to genuinely have the voice and the position to stand up and fight back.”

NatWest is hosting a board meeting on Thursday to agree the terms for Dame Alison’s departure. It is set to unveil its quarterly results on Friday.

Mr Farage said any payment to Dame Alison would be a “reward for failure” paid for by taxpayers, given the public’s 39 per cent ownership of the bank.

The closure of Mr Farage’s bank account led to a row over so-called de-banking of those with controversial political views, but a review by the Financial Conduct Authority foud no firm evidence of banks denying people access to accounts over the last year due to their political views.

Separately, Mr Farage launched an attack on the Conservative Party, claiming “they will lose the next election” and “they deserve to”.

Mr Farage, who quit the Conservative Party in 1992 after John Major signed the Maastricht Treaty. did not rule out a return to the Conservatives or even a run at the leadership.

“Only by losing can we have a party that stands up for the liberty, freedom and opportunity and enterprise of the individual,” he said.

Mr Farage added: “If I'm able to help that debate in any way, after the election, do you know what?

“I'll roll my sleeves up and I'll be there.”

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