Ex-NatWest chief breached Nigel Farage’s privacy, watchdog rules

ICO will not take further action over Alison Rose speaking to BBC journalist about planned closure of Farage's accounts

The former NatWest chief executive breached data protection laws when she spoke to a BBC journalist about the planned closure of Nigel Farage's bank accounts, the UK's information watchdog has ruled.

An Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) report seen by the Guardian said that Alison Rose broke rules on two counts: first by revealing that Farage had a banking relationship with its private bank, Coutts; and secondly by providing misleading information" that led the BBC to believe the bank was closing his accounts for purely commercial reasons, linked to his wealth.