HSBC Bank taken to Court under the Race Relations Act

The amusing forum thread I referred to yesterday was a primer for the following press release from the English Democrats (quite why the press release could not be released without the preceding buffoonery remains unclear).

HSBC Bank taken to Court under the Race Relations Act
Cambridge County Court
Thursday 26 August 2010
Friday 27 August 2010 10:00am Start

Address: 197 East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, CB1 1BA

Case Summary
HSBC - the world's local bank - but NOT in England
(original event took place in November 2008 at the HSBC Sidcup Branch)

The English Democrats Party is the equivalent for England of the Scottish National Party for Scotland or Plaid Cymru for Wales.

The Claimants are Officers of the English Democrats Party and are therefore leading asserters of English National origin/nationality.

The English Democrats had approximately 50 bank accounts with the HSBC around England at the time. (November 2008)

English Democrats Kent Chairman (the First Claimant), attended a pre-arranged appointment at the Defendant's Bank in Sidcup, Kent, to open an account for the local branch of the English Democrats.

This application was peremptorily refused by the Bank, acting through its clerk, Ms Patel , in consultation with her Manager, Mr Watkinson. Both Ms Patel and Mr Watkinson refused to check the English Democrats Party's Manifesto and therefore it is submitted that this can only have proceeded purely on the grounds of their prejudices.

It is contended that the Defendants' prejudice was unlikely to have been against the word "Democrats" in the party's name. It is contended their prejudice against "English" is contrary to the Race Relations Act as Amended being an assertion of English National origin/nationality as defined under the Act.

The Bank's refusal to open the account was compounded by the Manager's offensive comments to the Party's South East Area Chairman (2nd Claimant), and by the withdrawal of the Bank's apology to the Kent Chairman. It should also be noted that within one week of the refusal of the HSBC to open a Bank Account for the English Democrats in Sidcup, Kent, an English Democrats activist in the West Midlands successfully opened a Bank account in the name of the Scottish National Party at an HSBC Branch in the West Midlands.

The Defendant's actions, comments and attitude caused the Claimants considerable emotional hurt which is submitted as claimable as damages in these proceedings.

Then HSBC Bank then followed these incidents up with the closure of all the English Democrats HSBC accounts in the middle of the 2009 EU Elections campaign, a move calculated to cause the maximum disruption to the Party and its officers, including the Claimants.

The Bank has accepted vicarious liability if the Court finds against any of the Defendants.

Damages of up to £25,000 are expected by Steve Uncles (2nd Claimant) to compensate for the 'emotional hurt' caused by the HSBC's alleged discrimination. Interestingly the first claimant, Laurence Williams, English Democrats Kent Chairman, is Welsh (according to Steve Uncles).

If the English Democrats have indeed been discriminated against I hope that they are successful with this case; and I hope too that if any compensation is paid it will be sufficient to settle financial matters between Steve Uncles and the English Democrats Party, allowing him to part company with the EDP on amicable terms.

UPDATE

Rumour has it that the English Democrats have lost this court case, though no one from the Party has yet confirmed or denied the rumour.