Good evening. Nigel Farage has warned that ministers’ bank accounts could be closed too after his accounts were shut down by Coutts.
Elsewhere, we have the latest updates on the Ashes from Old Trafford.
“If it can happen to me, it can happen to them,” the former Ukip leader warned. “So maybe, their own self-interest will move things along,” he added. Mr Farage has praised the swift response from the Government over reports that ministers are considering making new laws to stop banks turning away customers. While Coutts closed Mr Farage’s account because his views did not “align” with their values, other figures linked to the private bank have caused far greater controversy. Coutts - which describes itself as “inclusive” and “culturally aware” - has previously managed the cash of dictators, mafia bosses, and Russian oligarchs, writes Flora Bowen.
Jon Sopel has apologised for mocking Nigel Farage over the closure of his Coutts account, which has increased pressure on the BBC to address its handling of the story. Mr Sopel, who was the corporation’s North America editor until 2021, said earlier this month that Mr Farage “must feel like a bit of a Charlie” after the BBC reported his account was closed for financial, rather than political, reasons. Emily Gilbert has a piece on the 13 tweets that cost the former Ukip leader his Coutts bank account.
NatWest faces a wave of demands from “debanked” customers to discover why they lost their accounts, reports Noah Eastwood. In a Facebook group of close to 10,000 people who claim to have had their NatWest accounts closed down, former customers are sharing templates and instructions on how to lodge Subject Access Requests with the institution. Ben Habib writes that businesses are being regulated to discriminate.
Just Stop Oil | Activists were surrounded by a group of counter-protesters wearing t-shirts with the slogan “Just Stop P---ing Everyone off” - you can watch a video of the counter-protest here.
We have the latest updates and analysis from Old Trafford, as Zak Crawley scored a swashbuckling century
Ukraine has reportedly launched its first cluster bomb attack against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv said it will attack all Russian cargo ships travelling in the north-eastern sector of the Black Sea, in retaliation to a similar warning from the Kremlin.
Sex, time travel, dolls… there’s no stopping Ncuti Gatwa
Since being cast as the new star of Doctor Who, his career has gone stratospheric. The star explains how he identifies with the Time Lord, the risqué role that changed his life, and the utter joy of Barbie
House prices will not rebound after the slump because interest rates will still be higher than they have been for the last decade, economists have warned. The value of UK homes will fall by 12pc from peak-to-trough by the end of 2024, according to S&P Global Ratings. You can follow the latest Business news on our live blog.
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