TORIES “FAILING TO LIFT A FINGER” TO SAVE SCOTLAND’S ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND BRANCHES

Patricia Gibson MP has slammed the UK Tory Government for “failing to lift a finger” to save the 259 RBS bank branches set for closure across the UK, 62 of them in Scotland. These include the Kilbirnie, Kilwinning and Saltcoats branches in Mrs Gibson’s North Ayrshire & Arran constituency. 680 people will lose their jobs. All affected branches are scheduled to close in June. The Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to intervene to prevent the closures, despite the UK taxpayer owning 72.9% of RBS. Commenting, Patricia said:

“The Tories are letting Scotland and indeed the rest of the UK down by failing to use their controlling interest in RBS to lift a finger to save these vital local banks from closure. “While the UK government refuses to take action, the SNP will continue our campaign to save local branches, which are hugely important for local people and businesses. “I have been in direct contact with RBS Chief Executive Officer Ross McEwan and remain hopeful that the concerns of our communities are being heard and that a breakthrough can still be found. In the meantime I continue to gather petition signatures in Kilbirnie, Kilwinning and Saltcoats against closure. Public support for the campaign from each community has been great.”