As it stands, we do not know exactly why Farage’s account was closed. But we do know that he is not the only one claiming to have been ‘debanked’. In fact, over the past week or so, numerous cases have emerged of people being denied access to financial services, seemingly on the basis of their political views. This has included activists, parents groups and even people with no political background at all.

Banks seem to be taking particular exception to opponents of wokeness. Shortly after Farage’s battle with Coutts went public, it was reported that Metro Bank had denied services to Our Duty, a gender-critical group. This association of 2,000 parents is trying to spread the message that the medical transitioning of children is harmful. The group’s founder claims that Metro Bank declined to open a business account for Our Duty, on the basis that its aims and beliefs ‘conflict with the culture and ideas [Metro Bank is] pushing’. Given that Metro Bank is a member of trans lobby group Stonewall’s Diversity Champion scheme, we can assume that it is ‘pushing’ gender ideology.

[The West is sliding toward a de facto “social credit” system run by big business and oligarchical acticist hedge funds. It makes little difference if the impetus for this is a regime like China or an ESG project designed to “force behaviors” onto the general public. We need to kneecap this now, perhaps especially by enforcing anti-trust law and breaking up the centralized economic and political power that has developed over the last few decades. That’s especially true in the finance and banking arenas. — Ed]