Politicians blast plans to close Wishaw branch of RBS

Wishaw politicians have blasted RBS’s decision to close its branch within the town.

RBS confirmed that 105 employees would be impacted by the closure of 18 of its 86 local branches across the country which are set to shut within months.

As well as Wishaw, other Lanarkshire branches set to close are Cumbernauld Tay Walk, East Kilbride and Rutherglen.

Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows said: “RBS must reverse this short-sighted strategy.

“The plan would be a devastating blow to 105 staff across the 18 branches in Scotland that are set to close.

“It would be devastating blow to those impacted in the Wishaw branch and a devastating blow to my constituents who have seen high street financial services decimated under the watch of this Tory government.

“RBS is still partially owned by the UK Government to the tune of more than 30 per cent.

“This government influence could and should be used to halt closures and the huge reduction in services that we have seen in recent years.

“RBS was happy to accept the huge £46 billion bailout from the UK Government during the financial crash.

“I have spoken repeatedly in parliament on the need for access to cash.

“Many of my constituents need to, or prefer to deal in cash, and they need local financial services.

“This is also true for small businesses which are the life blood of the local economy.

“Many elderly people, or people with a disability, are not able to use online banking services.

“And we have actually seen a rise in the use of cash in recent years.

“I am calling on RBS to do the right thing and cancel this latest round of closures.

“We need to see a complete rethink of how communities are served for financial services. I will not accept that the only driver of the people who make these decisions should be the bottom line on a balance sheet.”

Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson added: “Mobile and online banking is not an option for many people. It is a privileged assumption that everyone has digital access.

“Physical local branches are indispensable services for people in this community. And a bit of human interaction going to a local branch can be a boost for lonelier customers.

“Branch closures always disproportionately impact more vulnerable people and this will hit Wishaw hard. The short timescale of this announcement is extremely disappointing.

“I will be pushing to meet with RBS to outline my concerns for my Wishaw constituents and to urge the bank to reverse this decision.”

The Wishaw branch is set to close on September 24 on the same day as Rutherglen with East Kilbride closing its doors on October 1.

Central Scotland MSP Meghan Gallacher said: “Having access to a physical branch is crucial for many of my constituents.

“Closing these branches means customers will now have to travel miles to access the nearest branch. That is simply not viable for many people living in Lanarkshire.

“Many businesses rely on their local banks to carry out their day to day transactions. Not every business has moved to online banking.

“It is a travesty to be losing local jobs as a result of these closures. I would strongly urge Royal Bank of Scotland to reconsider their plans.”

The bank stated that the reduction in branch numbers is due to declining use by customers, but has now promised there will be no further closures before 2026.

Customers were using digital banking “more than ever before”, with more than 80 per cent of active current account holders using online services.

“While we are increasingly engaging our customers digitally, our branch network remains important to us,” read a statement.

“We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network - we are investing £10.5m in our network across Scotland, from 2023-24, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and banking hubs.

“Our customers appreciate the speed and convenience of digital banking for everyday transactions, and often, when it comes to making bigger, more complex decisions they value speaking to our skilled and experienced colleagues.”

The spokesperson added that more than 97 per cent of its retail accounts are opened over the internet.

In response to the RBS announcement, Esther O’Hara, Unite industrial officer said: “The proposed closures come off the back of RBS closures elsewhere in the UK and we fear this latest announcement is just another stage in the phasing out of banks from our nation’s streets in the race to make all banking operations digital which is not suitable or accessible for many customers.”

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