The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
RBS urged to review way it serves rural customers
MSPs seek wider conversation on closures and banking future
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has been urged to order a review into the way it serves rural communities as MSPs joined forces to condemn bank branch closures yesterday.
The banking giant’s bosses were told to “take their foot off the accelerator” and look at the impact their decisions were having in remote parts of the north and north-east.
More than a third of Scotland’s banks have closed since 2010 and RBS sparked uproar last year when it announced plans to close another 62 branches across Scotland.
Ten of the branches – including Beauly, Castlebay, Inveraray, Kyle of Lochalsh and Tongue – were given a temporary reprieve until the end of this year, with a review into their future due to be completed this month.
Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain welcomed RBS’s commitment to implement the recommendations of the review yesterday, as MSPs debate a committee report on the closures.
But the Scottish Conservative called for a wider review, saying: “I accept that the way we bank is changing, but as the report states, banks are also driving the pace of change.
“They do so, I believe, without comprehending the impact on their customers in the remote rural areas. In these areas they need to take their foot off the accelerator. Digital banking, mobile banking and post office banking are not viable alternatives that work for all.”
He added: “I call now on RBS to review how it serves rural communities across the Highlands and across Scotland. Because what it is doing at the moment does not serve those communities as it’s meant to.”
He was backed by fellow north MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, who said: “We need a more wide-ranging conversation on the future of banking that reflects the particular needs of the Highlands and islands.”
North-east Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said: “Losing local branches has been devastating. This is a genuine opportunity to put their differences aside and protect the essentials on Scottish high streets.”
Aberdeenshire East SNP MSP Gillian Martin added: “It is time more was done to consult with the people whose lives will be impacted by these decisions.”