NatWest’s chairman is under mounting pressure to determine whether Dame Alison Rose, the bank’s chief executive, played a role in the leaking of Nigel Farage’s private information.
Dame Alison’s career is hanging in the balance after the BBC apologised on Monday for an inaccurate story that claimed Coutts, which is owned by NatWest, shut down Mr Farage’s bank accounts because he did not meet its financial requirements.
The broadcaster said the story, by Simon Jack, its business editor, had come from “a trusted and senior source”.
Mr Jack sat next to Dame Alison at a charity dinner in London the night before the article was published. Days earlier, Mr Farage had disclosed that his account with Coutts had been closed “without explanation”.
Sir Howard Davies, NatWest’s chairman, is now facing calls to launch a board-level inquiry into the leak.
The scandal engulfing the bank comes after The Telegraph revealed that Mr Farage’s accounts were closed after Coutts decided his views “do not align with our values”.
On Monday, Mr Farage wrote to Sir Howard requesting that he open an investigation.
The furore risks overshadowing Friday’s publication of NatWest’s results for the first half of the year, which will further fuel demands for Sir Howard to act quickly. The bank is 39 per cent owned by the taxpayer.
‘I want the absolute truth’
In his letter Mr Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence Party, wrote: “Dear Mr Davies, can I ask whether you have initiated any internal investigation into the leaking of my bank status and current account balances?”
Mr Farage told The Telegraph: “I’m very pleased that Simon Jack admits that the information he was given was inaccurate. He says it came from a senior source, I’m wondering whether it was a very senior source.
“I want the absolute truth and I’m going to go on fighting and pushing until I get it – I won’t stop until I get it.”
Mr Farage has made a complaint about the leak to the Information Commissioner, but the body is yet to announce an investigation.
The BBC story was amended to include a clarification last week, but the corporation and Mr Jack went further on Monday.
In an apology posted on Twitter, Mr Jack said:
