Nigel Farage has claimed that an apology from the chief executive of NatWest Group is only "a start", as he pledged to keep on campaigning amid a political furore over the closure of bank accounts and freedom of speech.
The group's CEO Alison Rose apologised to the former Ukip and Brexit Party leader for "deeply inappropriate comments" made about him in official papers, saying she is "commissioning a full review of the Coutts' processes" on bank account closures.
This comes after days of questions for private bank Coutts, owned by NatWest Group, after Mr Farage claimed that his account was closed because of his political views, sparking outrage among senior Tories including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
In a rapid turnaround, the UK Treasury has announced that banks will be subject to stricter rules over closing customers' accounts, under changes designed to protect freedom of expression.
Mr Farage, opening his television show on GB News, praised the swift response from ministers but said that questions remain for both the bank and its CEO.
Ms Rose she said that the "deeply inappropriate comments... do not reflect the view of the bank."
"No individual should have to read such comments and I apologise to Mr Farage for this", her statement continued.
The bank has offered him "alternative banking arrangements" and is conducting "a full review of the Coutts' processes for how these decisions are made".
But Mr Farage hit back at the bank's chief, who is also a member of Mr Sunak's new Business Council, and accused her of being forced into an apology by the Treasury.
"But at least you've done it, I suppose. But the whole letter smacks of 'not me, guv, I mean I'm just the chief executive, I mean, don't blame me for what the banks under my direct control are doing"', he said.
"So thank you for the apology. It's a start, but it's no more than that", he added, vowing to fight on.
The bank, which closed Mr Farage's account earlier this year, cited his retweet of a joke by comedian Ricky Gervais about trans women, and also his friendship with tennis player Novak Djokovic, who is opposed to Covid vaccinations.
