Not everyone can afford to bank at Coutts, an exclusive bank, nor is everyone entitled to an account there. But Nigel Farage is not just anyone. He is arguably the most influential British politician of his generation. It is questionable whether Mr Farage’s role has been to the benefit of public life, but if not, the detriment does not disqualify him from access to financial services. It is possible to despise the xenophobic strain of nationalism carried into the political mainstream by Ukip, while accepting that its former leader has civic rights.
Mr Farage was, reasonably, aggrieved to learn that Coutts had factored his political opinions into a decision that he was no longer entitled to their services. His wealth had also dipped below the commercial threshold of eligibility for an account – a factor that may also rankle. But by far the strongest grievance is the way Mr Farage’s story found its way to the ear of a BBC journalist via Dame Alison Rose, chief executive of NatWest, which owns Coutts. Worse still, the information was incomplete. The political component in the decision was only revealed in documents obtained and published by Mr Farage.
