Will the NatWest debacle end the ‘debanking’ scandal?

The NatWest saga is fast becoming a textbook example of what some consider to be an ‘establishment’ attack on minority (and often right-leaning) viewpoints. The fast U-turn from the NatWest board which now sees Dame Alison Rose out of a job (Mr Steerpike has the details here) confirms that this was not a nuanced or two-sided debate that the bank originally tried to make it out to be.

It’s no surprise, then, that the government has been fairly robust in its growing condemnation of NatWest’s actions. No. 10 insisted last night that it had serious concerns about the bank’s actions, and ministers have been saying it was ‘right’ for Rose to go.

City Minister Andrew Griffith is one of those MPs who has spoken out. Griffith said this morning that the decision to ‘withdraw a bank account due to someone’s lawful political views…was and is always unacceptable’.