Like his equally unprincipled contemporary, disgraced former alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, he talks well, but lies badly. So what was his schtick? “I’ve been living with something for the last couple of months that may fundamentally affect my future career … and whether I can even stay living in this country”. Don’t get our hopes up, now.
But there was more. “I have been with the same banking group since 1980 … I’m with one of the subsidiaries of this big banking group, one with a very prestigious name [oh what a giveaway] … I got a phone call a couple of months ago to say ‘we are closing your accounts’. I asked why. No reason was given … I went to seven other banks and asked, can I have a personal and a business account, and the answer has been no”. Do go on.
“There was nothing irregular or unusual about what I do … why is this happening to me?” He then rambles on about EU definition of a Politically Exposed Person, one who may be open to bribery or other leverage by an external state actor. But we’re no longer in the EU. Not convincing.
Then he dumps on the banks themselves. “The banks … are part of the big corporate structures in this country. These are the organisations that did not want Brexit”. Everyone’s agin him, he’s a victim, woe is he. Then he comes up with someone else he can blame for his own misfortune.
“A few months ago, in the House of Commons, Sir Chris Bryant … said, using Parliamentary privilege, that I had received large sums of money directly from the Russian Government, and he named the calendar year in which it had happened. The truth is, I didn’t receive a penny from any source with even any link to Russia … I wrote to the Speaker. I demanded an apology … I wonder whether that is what’s given me part of the problem”.
No bank worth its credibility is going to shut down accounts on the say-so of Chris Bryant, or any other MP. This thought was not allowed to enter as Nige’s pals weighed in. “We call ourselves a democracy, but our banks are increasingly refusing to serve politicians with views they don’t like. What’s happened to [Nigel Farage] is NOT a one off” whined Isabel Oakeshott.
Sadly, she missed telling us who else had been treated so despicably. And, although LBC host Iain Dale and former Murdoch editor Andrew Neil joined those passing severely adverse comment on those who were agin poor Nige, Jim Pickard, deputy political editor of the FT, cautioned “I would want to know more about the state of his finances, the sources of his income, and the names of all the banks, before making any conclusion either way”.
Law lecturer Rob Palmer reminded Mr Thirsty “Nige, this (your bank accounts being closed) only usually happens if money laundering or illegal activity is suspected. They won't comment because it can impede a criminal investigation. Please, stop gaslighting”. Nige did not stop gaslighting.
As the presence known as Otto English observed, Farage went on Gammon Broadcasting™ News (“Bacon’s News Channel”) yesterday evening and, backed up by the caption “FARAGE CANCELLED BY BANK”, blubbered “For once, I’m pretty thoughtful … about whether it’s worth living in this country … so what I am going to do is to take some time off”. Tell us more.
“Take a week or two off, maybe more, to consider what my next steps are going to be. This is going on in our country [no shit, Sherlock]. It’s happening to plenty of people. I just happen to be one of them”. Has he parted company with GB News? What would cause such a rupture to occur? His show is the channel’s top rated programme. And one other thought has entered.
The perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, so often Farage cheerleaders, have not as yet even mentioned Mr Thirsty’s little local difficulty. Why might that be? Whatever the answer, we should wait for the facts to emerge, not merely a partial version from The Great Man.
Meanwhile, let’s see which country is prepared to have him. Bye bye Nige.
https://www.patreon.com/Timfenton
For all the schadenfreude about Mr. Phalange, there are some serious issues raised by this.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a regular phenomenon over the past few years of banks closing the accounts of people or organisations which are, in the general sense, 'political' without any reason - valid or otherwise - being given. Various organisations involved in promoting the rights of Palestinians, for example.
Only a few days ago, the bank accounts of the Scottish pro-independence journalist Stu Campbell (https://wingsoverscotland.com) were shut down in similar circumstances without the bank being willing to provide him with any reason why either.
There is a wider and more sinister implication of this behaviour. Why do you think that the banks and the political establishment are so keen to phase out any remaining right of people to pay for things by cash? Because that would mean that everybody would be dependent on the good will, competence and integrity of those operating the systems in order to access their own money. Aside from the exclusionary effect of that on those without debit cards or even bank accounts, it would be an ideal way of crippling any form of dissent by leaving designated 'dissidents' without funds even for the most basic day-to-day expenditure.
So jeer at Farrago as much as you like, but this is just a more publically-visible manifestation of something far more malign.
So the toxic little bigot wonders whether it will be worth living in this country? Well, many have done this since 23rd June, 2016! Due to the actions of the one doing the most whining.
ReplyDeleteTime for a banking ombudsman if one doesn't already exist.
ReplyDeleteBanks should be made to legally justify exclusion. Without it, immediate restoration required. Bank accounts are essential in modern society.
Meanwhile, I hope Farage is forced to slide down a kilometre long razor blade and use his balls as a brake.
A few years ago he said he'd leave the country if Brexit failed. Which he recently admitted it had. So why does he need a UK bank account?
ReplyDeleteThis seems more to do with the toxic little bigot being blacklisted. He claims he was turned down from opening an account with SEVEN banks. More than one bank perhaps considerers him politically sensitive and perhaps as a result 'dodgy' in regard to where he receives his income. This is a separate issue to the authorities wanting a cashless society.
ReplyDeleteI would relish this episode if only the banks would issue a statement roughly along these lines:
ReplyDelete"We do not accept applications from fascist, racist, xenophobic, gammon faced, flag waving, mouth-like-a-rip-in-welly, propaganda spewing individuals, tories, or other like minded suspicious characters. Therefore we cannot accept mister Farage."
Unfortunately, presumably this cannot happen according to law. But if it could it would help society in its tortuous search for a return to progressive governance.
He hasn’t had a regular income since ceasing to be an MEP and with the new laws about money laundering banks have a duty to to keep a very close eye on their customers' accounts these days. I'm sure Fartrage's political donations are all entirely legitimate, above board and not from anyone living east of the River Bug though, so it can’t possibly be that which has drawn their attention.
ReplyDeletePlus if the so-called “left-wing economic establishment” really wanted the horrible get out of the country “in revenge for Brexit” they’d have closed his accounts a decade of more ago when there was still a reasonable chance that, without the bollock-faced foghorn of ignorance showing up on “Question Time” every other week, Brexit might have been averted altogether.
Nigel Stapley 'Only a few days ago, the bank accounts of the Scottish pro-independence journalist Stu Campbell (https://wingsoverscotland.com) were shut down in similar circumstances without the bank being willing to provide him with any reason why either.'
ReplyDeleteWhat about the criminal investigation underway?
Mr Larrington - he'll be in receipt of an MEP pension.
ReplyDeleteAnd jumping on the bandwagon despite living in the USA -
ReplyDeleteRICHARD LITTLEJOHN: Will it be my turn next to have my bank accounts closed for not holding the 'right' views?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-12260461/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-bank-accounts-closed-not-holding-right-views.html#comments
@David Boffey,
ReplyDeleteWhat 'criminal investigation'? To the best of my knowledge, Campbell isn't under one. If you mean the ones into the SNP's financial shenanigans (allegedly), then that's hardly going to involve Campbell, as he has been one of the most virulent critics of the party's inaction on independence.
To 10:47.
ReplyDeleteIn Littlejohn's US-based case he ought to know about far-rightism, given his "work" for the Daily Heil.
Especially since he can't be sure if he'll return alive from a visit to the cinema, theatre, open air concert, nightclub, church, mosque, synagog, school or shopping mall. So he shouldn't have a problem if his accounts are stuffed with far right propaganda bribery.