NatWest board to decide whether to slash its former CEO's £10 million exit package
A former chief executive at UK banking giant NatWest breached data protection laws when she talked about the planned closure of Nigel Farage’s bank accounts with a BBC reporter, the UK’s data privacy watchdog has ruled.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found that Alison Rose (pictured) violated the broadcaster and former politician’s data privacy rights by inappropriately and inaccurately sharing the latter’s personal data.
“Following a thorough review of the complaint raised with us, we have concluded our investigation,” an ICO spokesperson was quoted as stating in a report by The Guardian. “We upheld two parts of the complaint – namely, we found that an individual employed by NatWest shared information when they should not have done, and that by doing so they infringed the complainant’s data protection rights.
“We have been clear with the bank that these actions were unacceptable and should not happen again.”
Dame Alison Rose, the former NatWest boss, twice breached data protection laws when she told a BBC journalist about the closure of Nigel Farage’s account, the data watchdog has ruledhttps://t.co/Oc9pP8NqPu pic.twitter.com/XmUjgjN7E3
— Times Business (@TimesBusiness) October 26, 2023
Rose was forced to resign amid the Farage debanking scandal, which also sparked calls for a review into the issue of politically exposed persons being denied banking services. Her exit package of more than £10 million in pay, bonuses, and stock could also be cut by the NatWest board after Farage called on the bank to slash the severance pay of its former boss.
Commenting on the ICO decision, Farage told the Financial Times that the watchdog’s ruling “confirms that Rose was in breach of data rules, of the FCA rule book and oversaw a culture of deep political prejudice at NatWest.”
A NatWest spokesperson said it fully cooperated with the ICO in its assessment of any customer complaint, but added that “it would not be appropriate for us to comment on this individual case.”
Attempts to reach Rose for comment have been so far unsuccessful.
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