Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
I thank colleagues who signed my motion on the closure of Bank of Scotland branches so that the debate could be brought to the chamber.
From Tain in the north to Castle Douglas in the south, 28 Bank of Scotland branches have been closed or are set to be closed this year. However, for many—probably most—of those communities, that is far from the start of the story. In my Rutherglen constituency, Burnside, Cambuslang and Blantyre have all lost their bank branches, and several banks in Rutherglen have closed their doors. Each time, I have worked with affected communities, met with and written to banks, organised petitions and stalls against proposed closures, raised awareness through social media, and highlighted closures in the chamber. I have sought meetings with senior banking representatives and have relayed to them my constituents’ concerns. In particular, older people, disabled people, local businesses and organisations, charities and places of worship, and people with no access to the internet have told me that they really struggle without locally available banking services.
When the news broke about the Bank of Scotland branch in Rutherglen facing closure, therefore, there was an understandable outpouring of public anger. At least part of that anger was due to our town’s previous experience with a bank in almost exactly the same location. Another bank, a few doors down from the Bank of Scotland, closed its branch in November 2024. That bank had published a document stating that “only 20 personal customers” used the branch each week. Its doors are visible from my constituency office, and on one afternoon we counted 27 separate groups of people going through those doors within a 20-minute period. It turned out that the bank’s definition of a “personal customer” was very selective, so it was no surprise that the bank’s customers felt that the wool was being pulled over their eyes.
I have met both Nationwide and Virgin Money in recent months, which both confirmed that they will maintain their Rutherglen branches until at least the start of 2030. During those meetings, it struck me how valuable staff find face-to-face contact with customers, especially more vulnerable customers, who are at increased risk of being targeted by scammers and fraudsters. That confirmation from Nationwide and Virgin Money is therefore welcome news, although it is little comfort to the people who have told me that they have held accounts for decades with Bank of Scotland—a bank that used to market itself as “A Friend for Life”.
Within a few short weeks, nearly 700 people signed my petition against the Bank of Scotland closure, with many also popping into my constituency office, which is across the road from the branch, to share their views. Along with Scottish National Party colleagues who are also facing branch closures in their constituencies, I requested a meeting in Parliament with Bank of Scotland to discuss its decision making. Regretfully, however, the bank declined, saying that it would prefer to meet us individually. That is very unfortunate, because although some of the issues are contextual, other issues are universal, which is another reason why I am pleased that this debate is being held today. I will have a meeting with Bank of Scotland next week to discuss the Rutherglen closure, at which I will present my petition and share the concerns that local residents, organisations and businesses have shared with me.
I thank Age Scotland for providing MSPs with an excellent briefing note that perfectly summarises some of the challenges that people face when a branch closes. Those challenges range from community groups struggling to bank the cash donations on which they rely to a lack of easy access to expert support with transferring money and understanding bank statements and support with fraud and disputing charges, as well as reduced levels of high street footfall affecting local businesses.
I pay tribute to the dedication of Cambuslang community council, in my constituency, which successfully campaigned for Cambuslang to be included in the community access to cash pilot. One of the first two banking hubs in the country opened in the town in 2021. The banking hub in Cambuslang was an immediate success, quickly generating high levels of use and receiving excellent customer assessments for the services offered, which include dedicated times when customers can meet staff from their own bank, with staff from a different bank based there each weekday. It was great to welcome the Minister for Public Finance to the hub to see how it is benefiting the local community. Its success has been replicated elsewhere, and there are now 24 banking hubs in total across Scotland.
However, a hub is not a like-for-like replacement for a bank branch. Banking inquiries that are more complicated than withdrawing cash, checking balances and paying bills need to take place on one of the days when a community banker is present. Furthermore, not all banks are represented in local hubs, and when there is only one bank left in an area—which is the case for many Bank of Scotland branches—there may not be enough accounts held with other banks to sustain a hub that is open most days.
That aside, the success and popularity of banking hubs such as the one in Cambuslang show us something very important. They completely refute the notions that high street banks have been trying to sell us: that all banking has moved online and that people do not value or wish to use local branches. That is simply not the case. As Age Scotland pointed out, 25 per cent of older adults in Scotland do not have internet access and 36 per cent do not have the skills or confidence to use the internet successfully. The way that high street banks have abandoned their customers—and, indeed, abandoned towns and villages across Scotland over the years—has been shameful.
I will continue to champion the presence of high street banks in my constituency, and the fight for Rutherglen’s Bank of Scotland branch continues. Ultimately, it is the United Kingdom Government at Westminster that holds the levers of power to regulate banks. Westminster Governments have it in their power and responsibility to intervene to prevent more closures, but, sadly, they have never done so. Yes, there are some legislative commitments that are intended to ensure that provision remains within a certain distance of a community, but that distance often does not factor in very practical considerations such as the availability of public transport.
The trend of bank closures, which ramped up during the Tories’ time in office, is continuing under the current UK Labour Government. It is imperative that vulnerable people and those who lack the means to bank over the internet are able to bank safely and securely and to seek financial advice and support. That has to be addressed by the UK Government. If it will not do that, the Scottish Government must be given the powers to do it.
Before I conclude, I pay tribute to my friend and colleague Richard Lochhead, the Minister for Business and Employment, who will make his final speech in response to the debate. He has been here since the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, and he has made significant contributions to my party, to this Government and to the people of Scotland. I wish him well for the future.