Dozens of media workers were left in financial limbo this week after one of the UK's largest banks closed the account of the left-wing outlet The Canary , preventing it from paying staff and contractors.
The publication, known for its coverage of UK politics and pro-Palestine editorial stance , has been unable to access its funds after Lloyds Bank shut its account without explanation. Despite banking with Lloyds for nearly a decade, the outlet said the move was implemented with immediate effect, leaving it scrambling to meet payroll deadlines.
"We have been unable to pay any staff or contractors," CEO Steve Topple told The New Arab , adding that employees — many from marginalised backgrounds — are now "extremely in distress and in limbo".
One of the organisation's freelancers affected was Yousra Samir, who said she initially did not understand why payments had been delayed.
"Usually [ The Canary ] are super on the ball with everything" Yousra Samir told The New Arab . "It made sense why for the last few weeks they'd been quiet because, obviously, behind the scenes they were trying to sort this out."
Topple said the organisation is attempting to mitigate the disruption, but warned the situation has exposed how vulnerable independent media outlets can be to sudden financial shocks. Lack of transparency and risk factors While Lloyds has not provided a reason for the account closure, banks may restrict or terminate accounts for a range of risk, legal, or compliance-related concerns. These may include suspicions of financial crime, sanctions obligations, or associations deemed high-risk or controversial.
"Whilst we do not yet know the reasons for our debanking, we cannot afford to be naive about it," Topple said. "It is an outrage that The Canary has been unceremoniously dropped into financial instability with no notice or explanation from Lloyds."
He added that similar actions have affected other politically engaged individuals and organisations, raising broader concerns about access to banking services.
"Our situation is a damning indictment of the treatment of independent media in this country – whereby you can be potentially ruined without recourse by banking giants like Lloyds," Topple added. Pattern of account closures The incident comes amid a series of similar cases involving politically engaged individuals and pro-Palestine organisations in the UK .
Samir herself had her Lloyds account closed earlier this year without explanation, after experiencing repeated blocks on transfers linked to a Gaza fundraiser.
After banking with Lloyds since 2018, she received a letter stating the bank could no longer maintain a relationship with her and that she would be unable to open an account with its partners.
“I called Lloyds straight away. They said they can’t give a reason, and that they don’t even know the reason, because it’s from head office,” she recalled.
The closure followed months of difficulty transferring funds linked to a fundraiser she was running for a Palestinian doctor in Gaza , with payments repeatedly blocked.
“They would just keep saying it’s for safety, for fraud and nothing else,” she said. Concerned about holding donated funds she could not access, Samir ultimately transferred the fundraiser to a registered charity.
“I just didn’t really like the idea of people’s money, that’s not mine, just sitting in my account and me being unable to get it across,” she said, adding that the situation affected her sleep and mental health.
While Samir was given 65 days to move her finances, others have faced more immediate disruption.
Groups including Greater Manchester Friends for Palestine (GMFP) and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign have also had accounts frozen in recent years. GMFP said its account was restricted during an investigation linked to the now-banned direct action group Palestine Action.
In a separate case, the Co-op Bank closed the account of Friends of Al-Aqsa in 2016 without prior notice, forcing the organisation to seek alternative banking arrangements. The New Arab reached out to Lloyds Bank but has not received a response at the time of publication.