Torn plastic bank note

This week I found a long split in a plastic £10 note, it wouldn't have taken much to end up with it in two pieces. Our local bank has gone cashless, anyway it will be closed next year to be replaced by a banking hub, with days probably shared with other banks long since departed the town. The banking hub I expect will be cashless too.
What I did was to repair the split with some Sellotape and rather that queue in the Post Office that still handles cash so far, I paid using the £10 note in a local cafe that I know banks their cash at the PO.

I am concerned at the lack of freedom that a cashless society would bring on. I was alarmed that Nigel Farage and his own family members were de-banked as have been others. I am aware that a so called independent body that the bank employed reviewed this case and found Nat West's behaviour was whiter than white apparently. Perhaps Nat West didn't like Nigel Farrage for spearheading a campaign for Brexit, perhaps it was because he was a politically exposed person, (PEP), perhaps he was using Cootts Bank without the millions that their other customers were boosting their coffers with. Years ago Michael Palin banked with Cootts when he did his Round the World in 80 days TV programs.

Things came closer to home last week when I decided to make a modest investment in some shares to boost my pension. On the application form I was asked if I was a Politically Exposed Person or if anyone in my family was. No, I am not, but why should it be any business of theirs if I was? Is it only politically exposed persons of whom the bank approves are allowed to bank with them?

You go cashless and this sort of authoritarian control could await you. It would appear that there are alarming signals that banks are forcing their agenda on us, to go cashless, to go for their control over banking customers.

Currently I use cash as much as possible if it is still accepted.

Relaxez-Vous wrote:On the application form I was asked if I was a Politically Exposed Person or if anyone in my family was. No, I am not, but why should it be any business of theirs if I was? Is it only politically exposed persons of whom the bank approves are allowed to bank with them?

None of the banks (Coutts, Nat West, nor any other in the UK) has the ability to make up the rules about Politically Exposed Person customers. The rules are imposed on them by the FCA (who are, in effect, a representative of the government, which is, in theory, a representative of all of us). Here is a link to the rules that they are supposed to follow:

https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/money-laundering-terrorist-financing/high-risk-customers-politically-exposed-persons

It's part of legislation that is designed to deter/prevent such crimes as money laundering.

BTW, if you have a damaged banknote then, as I understand it, the Bank of England is obliged to accept it and replace it with an undamaged note. Other banks should also do it (whether you are a customer or not) but as I understand it they are not obliged to.