HSBC Closes BNP Accounts

By Louisa Nesbitt, City Staff, PA News | Wednesday, 20 October 2004 | Click here for original article

The British National Party was delivered a fresh blow tonight when it emerged that HSBC had decided to close its bank accounts.

The action – which follows a similar move by Barclays to freeze BNP accounts – was described by the party as a campaign to close it down "by all available means".

Although the banking giant refused to comment, sources said HSBC had taken the action to close all accounts held by the BNP.

It comes three months after Barclays froze up to six accounts following a BBC documentary in which a team secretly filmed party members confessing to race-hate crime.

At the time, BNP chairman Nick Griffin admitted the party might find it difficult to open accounts with other banks.

The BNP said tonight that no reasons were given by HSBC for the move.