The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a formal apology to former NatWest boss Dame Alison Rose over a claim she breached data protection laws over Nigel Farage’s banking relationship. The UK data watchdog had last month suggested Rose had broken rules by confirming Farage had accounts with the private bank Coutts, and misleading a journalist over why it planned to close them.
It said it was “incorrect” to imply she violated data protection laws when she spoke with a BBC journalist in respect of the former Ukip leader, as the ICO’s investigation was solely into NatWest’s actions as a data controller. The statement read: “The ICO recently investigated a complaint from Nigel Farage. The ICO's investigation was solely into NatWest's actions as a data controller.