Ex-Bank of England economist Andy Haldane has claimed he was debanked in a similar fashion to Nigel Farage due to his political ties.
An unnamed lender rejected the former central bank economist from opening an account last year because he was “politically connected by dint of working for the Bank of England”, Haldane said on Wednesday.
“Three problems with that,” he continued during the speech at the Royal Society of Arts, where he is now chief executive.
“One, I wasn’t working for the Bank of England [at that point].
“Two, the Bank of England is by statute independent from government.
“Third, the Bank of England was their regulator, so the risk was to their regulator.”
A slideshow read “we are all Nigels now” as he recounted the story, referencing Farage’s spat with Natwest Group PLC's (LSE:NWG) Coutts last year.
Haldane's comments came as he discussed whether regulation in the City of London had gone too far.
Rules with “the best of intentions” were “chilling risk appetite and forestalling investing”, he argued, becoming the latest to voice fears on overregulation at the expense of risk-taking.