Lloyds in Britain denies mortgage to mother of Palestine Action activist
British banking group Lloyds has rejected a mortgage application from the mother of Leona Kamio, an imprisoned activist from the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action. As The Jerusalem Post reports, citing an investigation by Novara Media, the bank said it was not prepared to support the deal because of “adverse media references”.
Lloyds’ decision
According to Novara Media, in June Lloyds informed Kamio’s mother that it had reviewed the application and consulted its credit approvals team. The bank’s response said that because of “adverse media references”, the team did not feel comfortable supporting the deal.
Lloyds also reportedly refused to transfer the assets in the account into Kamio’s sister’s name so that a mortgage application could be submitted through that account. In February 2025, Leona Kamio herself, while in custody, allegedly received a letter from the bank stating that Lloyds could no longer maintain a banking relationship with her.
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Leona Kamio’s case
Kamio was one of four Palestine Action members convicted in a property damage case following a raid on an Elbit Systems factory near Bristol in 2024. Collectively, the defendants received more than 20 years in prison.
The prosecution said the action had been carefully planned. According to The Jerusalem Post, the judge in the case found a “terrorist connection” to the group’s actions, after which the sentences were increased compared with the initial calculation. According to the report, the raid participants caused approximately $1 million in damage and clashed with police officers. Kamio and two other women were sentenced to six years in prison.
Lloyds told Novara Media that it does not close accounts or make lending decisions on the basis of customers’ political or personal beliefs. According to a bank representative, decisions are based on laws, rules, account terms or lending requirements.
