SNP MPs from the far north to the south of Scotland have called for a summit with management after the Clydesdale Bank announced the closure of 40 branches – a third of its network – and the loss of 200 jobs.
They want the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group (CYBG) to reconsider the closures, which include the branch at Fraserburgh, the biggest shellfish port in Europe.
Eilidh Whiteford, who represents Banff and Buchan, said: “Fraserburgh is the largest shellfish port in Europe, and the three branches due to close in my constituency serve a vast rural area with a high proportion of agriculture businesses. The closure in Mintlaw is also worrying given it is the last bank to serve the village.
“Today, alongside my colleagues, I’m calling on the management of Clydesdale Bank management to meet with us in the north-east to discuss the future of banking services and what we can do to keep these branches open in some of our most rural areas. Technology is indeed moving on, however the roll-out of digital in Scotland has not yet been completed and these closures are at best premature.”
East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald is also seeking a meeting with bosses over the closure of the bank’s Giffnock branch, and raised the issue yesterday at Westminster.
“This will have a devastating impact on a number of local businesses and customers who rely on this branch for their banking services, not to mention the branch staff who may be facing redundancy as a result of this decision,” said Oswald.
“The local community has been hit badly by bank closures in recent years, with a recent investigation by consumer watchdog Which? showing that East Renfrewshire is one of the worst-affected areas in the whole country.
“Residents in East Renfrewshire are rightly concerned about being asked to travel further to access banking services, with local branch closures negatively impacting elderly and disabled customers in particular.”
Angus Robertson, the MP for Moray, said: “In the north-east we have many unique challenges, such as transport, that will make banking difficult for local businesses, the elderly and disabled people if these branches close.
“I would urge a change in tack by the decision makers. The branch closures in Aberlour and Buckie by the Clydesdale Bank are the latest in a long list of closures by various banks including the Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
“I am far from convinced that the banks have given full consideration to different ways of operating that could retain local branches.
“Both the closures in Moray concern local constituents as the Aberlour branch is the last remaining bank in the whole of Speyside, supporting a vibrant tourism industry.”
The closures also came under fire from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), whose Scottish policy convener Andy Willox said: “Our research shows that branch closures put real pressure on local economies and make it harder for firms to access banking services.”
He said FSB research from last year revealed that bank branches were closing faster in Scotland than in any other UK nation. The Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) estimated that there were 1,037 bank branches in Scotland at the end of 2014 – with these 40 closures, that brings the number of active branches to less than 1,000.
Willox added: “If Scotland’s historic banking institutions are bent on consolidating their estates, they have a duty to ensure that what they leave behind works.”
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