The Canary has reportedly suspended its national weekday print newspaper after accusing Lloyds of closing its bank account and withholding funds.
The left-wing news outlet has said it has been left unable to pay all its staff and is in a “financially precarious situation”.
The newspaper’s print run lasted two weeks, with the Canary claiming this was always intended as a trial to “gauge how it would work operationally”. It reportedly has plans to relaunch in the coming weeks.
The Canary previously told Press Gazette it planned to launch the newspaper in 6,500 newsagents across England and Wales from 26 May, expanding to an additional 1,500 outlets two weeks later.
[Read more: Yellow top: The Canary launching daily left-wing tabloid newspaper]
The print launch was funded by a cash injection from a used-car website founder in 2025. It marked the first launch of a new UK national newspaper since The New Day, the positive-focused title launched by Reach (then called Trinity Mirror), which lasted just two months.
The print suspension follows the Canary claiming Lloyds Banking Group has debanked the company and is “withholding a substantial amount of money”, preventing it from paying all its staff. The publisher recently hired three staff members to produce additional content for its newspaper.
‘Left with barely any funds’
In a statement published on its website, the Canary said it is “left with barely any funds” and added that Lloyds has provided no explanation for why it has taken this action.
“Despite multiple communications from us, the bank has not been forthcoming with its reasoning,” it said. “We do not know when our money that Lloyds is holding will be returned. Moreover, we do not know how it will affect our ability to get another bank account in the future.”
The Canary is appealing for donations on its website.
It has speculated that “other politically engaged people have suffered similar actions” by other banks, particularly those that are anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine in politics.
“Whilst we do not currently know the reasons behind our debanking, we cannot afford to be naive about this.
“It is an outrage that the Canary has been unceremoniously dropped into financial instability with no notice or explanation from Lloyds.”
Independent media shares support for Canary
The Canary shared support it has received from both representatives of independent media and activists.
Former Canary editor and current media coordinator at Campaign Against Arms Emily Apple posted on X: “Massive love and solidarity to former colleagues and friends @TheCanaryUK. This is an outrageous attack on press freedom and independence at a time when we need independent media more than ever.”
Former Guardian columnist Jonathan Cook said on X: “Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, set up astroturf groups to persuade advertisers to boycott the Canary website and so stifle close-to-the-bone criticisms of Starmer. The Canary has suffered financially ever since. Now Lloyds Bank has inexplicably de-banked them. Don’t expect the British establishment to play fair. It’s got a democracy to hollow out, a genocide to support, and a planet to pillage.”
Double Down News posted on X that the debanking “sets a very dangerous precedent and attack on Independent media”.
Ash Sarkar, contributing editor at Novara Media, said on X: “This worrying development takes place in a wider context of debanking for political reasons, against both the right & the left. Banks have no right to interfere with legitimate journalistic activity. Lloyds must either disclose their rationale, or reinstate the account immediately.”
The newsbrand also received support from Peter Jukes, co-founder of Byline Times, Carole Cadwalladr, co-founder of The Nerve, columnist Owen Jones and former Telegraph journalist Greg Hadfield.
In a follow-up article thanking supporters, the Canary stated: “You’ll notice the people who haven’t spoken out, of course, and that’s the journalists and politicians who make up the British establishment.
“Honestly, they’re smart to stay quiet, because this latest speed bump isn’t going to stop us exposing them – even if they do offer us backhanded solidarity.
“They can make us poor, but they can’t make us wrong.”
Lloyds Banking Group told Press Gazette it does not comment “on individual customer accounts”.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
