Kyle RBS closure reprieve welcomed by MP

NEWS that Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has bowed to public pressure and delayed its decision to close the Kyle of Lochalsh branch has been welcomed by Ian Blackford MP.

The Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP has also vowed to carry on the fight to save others, as the future of the Mallaig branch still hangs in the balance.

The Kyle of Lochlash branch is one of 10 rural banks that will remain open until the end of 2018, despite previous plans to close them were proposed in an RBS review.

The closure would have left the community with no bank, leaving customers faced with a trip to Portree to do their banking. RBS has now, however, reprieved branches where they are ‘the last bank in town’.

The change of mind comes after huge public opposition, led by Mr Blackford and Kate Forbes MSP, who met with communities and organised petitions urging the bank’s management to think again.

As leader of the SNP Westminster group, Mr Blackford also kept up the pressure in parliament raising the matter with Theresa May during Prime Minister’s questions.

He said: ‘This is great news for the people who were facing having no bank in their communities and I am delighted management of RBS has listened and done the right thing by them.

‘I congratulate everyone who has stood up to these threats and the reward is theirs. It is a fantastic result for Kyle and for the local businesses using the branch, especially those in tourism who deal largely in cash. It was a ridiculous idea that they would have to travel all the way to Portree to do their banking.

‘However while this is good news for 10 branches, two of which are in my constituency, I have not forgotten the Mallaig branch has not been reprieved. I, along with Kate Forbes and the local community will continue to make the case for its retention.’