Nigel Farage has settled his legal dispute with NatWest Group, nearly two years after the bank closed his accounts. The Reform UK leader had threatened legal action after his political views were cited as a reason for the closure of his Coutts account.
The row led to the resignation of NatWest chief executive Dame Alison Rose in July 2023, after she admitted being the source of an inaccurate BBC story about the reasons for Farage's debanking. The story had claimed the accounts were closed because Farage fell below the wealth threshold for Coutts.
However, a dossier obtained by Farage showed that while his personal finances were a factor, media coverage of his political views was also discussed when considering his retention as a client. In a joint statement, NatWest and Farage confirmed the settlement and said the bank had apologised, with terms remaining confidential.
Rose had previously apologised for confirming to a BBC editor that the bank took a commercial decision to close Farage's accounts. NatWest later scrapped almost £7.6 million in potential payouts to Rose.
