Nigel Farage blasts Coutts bank as he hits back at claims he's not wealthy enough to own account
Coutts (left) and Nigel Farage (right)
PA/Twitter
Nigel Farage has blasted Coutts bank as "dishonest" as the GB News presenter challenged claims that he is not wealthy enough to hold an account with the 331-year-old institution.
The former UKIP leader uploaded a 37-second video to Twitter earlier today after it was suggested Farage fell short of Coutts' requirement for customers to borrow or invest £1million with the bank or hold £3million in savings.
The 59-year-old said: "Yes the bank that closed me up was Coutts.
"Now they say they've offered me a NatWest account.
Nigel FaragePA"That wasn't until late on Thursday night after I'd blown the story out there, which said that then seven other banks had refused me.
"That is now nine other banks that have refused me.
"They're telling the press I don't meet their wealth threshold - well, they've never mentioned that before in the previous ten years."
Farage added: "Worst of the story is, they denied to me on the phone on Friday that I was a PEP - a politically exposed person.
Nigel Farage spoke about his banking issue days after picking up a top awardTwitter/Nigel Farage"That's the reason nobody else will have me and Coutts are, frankly, being very, very dishonest indeed."
The former Brexit Party leader previously suggested his involvement in the 2016 referendum could explain the action taken against him.
It has been reported the decision was justified due to "commercial" reasons.
However, Farage has since been rejected by nine banks and his lawyers have claimed he is classed as a politically exposed person (PEP).
Security Minister Tom TugendhatPATory MPs have put pressure on the Government about the potentially "chilling effect" of Coutts' decision on free speech.
Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said it should be "completely unacceptable" for a bank to close an account on "political grounds".
He added: "PEP is there to prevent the corrupt use of banking facilities by politicians in corrupt regimes.
"It is not here to silence individuals who may hold views with which we may or may not agree."
GB News has approached Coutts for comment.
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