The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dundee City Council urged to reconsider banking with RBS
Duo believe move would be a potent symbol of authority’s anger
Dundee City Council should consider switching its bank provider in the wake of recent RBS closures, Labour councillors have said.
Councillors Richard McCready and Georgia Cruickshank said they will be writing to the local authority’s chief executive David Martin asking him to reconsider banking with RBS following an announcement made last month that the company would be shutting down its Stobswell branch.
Dundee City Council conducts its banking with the publicly-owned plc and the contract between the two is due to be renewed in 2019.
Mr McCready said the council should “change their mind” about banking with RBS if it fails to address the closures.
“At the very least I want the council to make sure when the banking contract is renewed in 2019 there is a robust community benefit section in the contract,” he said.
“This would call on whichever bank won that contract to undertake to protect services to the community in Dundee and I would hope to include a promise not to close branches within the city.
“I would also be looking for the bank to deliver support for organisations like Discovery Credit Union.”
Georgia Cruickshank said: “It is disappointing to find out that the council banks with RBS at a time when RBS are planning to close the branch in Stobswell.
“I am calling on the council to make its voice heard and tell RBS that as a major customer in the city we are not happy at their plans to close the Stobswell branch.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “The chief executive will respond directly to Councillor McCready and Councillor Cruickshank in due course.”