MP claims leaked RBS branch closure document shows official figures were ‘misleading’

SNP MP Ian Blackford has spoken in parliament to accuse the Royal Bank of Scotland of using “misleading” figures to defend the closure of 62 banks across the UK.

The MP has emerged as the leader of the backlash against the still 73 per cent state-owned bank that has seen it condemned for “abandoning”after it announced plans that will see thirteen Scottish towns lose their last bank.

While Prime Minster Theresa May has dismissed the matter as a ‘commercial’ decision for the bank’, the SNP Westminster Leader told the Commons that RBS is trying to create a picture that these branches are a relic of the past by only publishing the number of customers who visit every week of the year, rather than the total number of transactions at each branch.

Edinburgh-based RBS has said the decision to close one-third of its branches in Scotland reflected the trend towards online banking, citing data that showed the use of its branches by customers had fallen 40 per cent since 2014.

However, speaking last night, Mr Blackford said he had received some figures for transactions in the branches in his constituency, yet when using these to dispute the case put forward by RBS for the closures, and after requests for the same figures for other branches across Scotland, RBS has refused to publish any more.

Mr Blackford also said RBS had not been upfront about the number of redundancies, as the figures they presented did not reflect part-time redundancies, and these communities are set to lose many quality, part-time jobs.

In the debate in the House of Commons last night, Mr Blackford said: “RBS have at best, been misleading with the figures. According to RBS, there are only 11 customers using the Mallaig branch on a weekly basis; 27 visiting Beauly on the same basis and 51 using Kyle. These are the official figures that RBS have released.

“If you focus on the so called 51 you might be sympathetic to the demands from RBS to close the bank and yet 25,000 transactions a year allows me to conclude that the branch is still relatively busy.

“Why don’t RBS come clean and tell us the number of transactions in all the threatened branches? It is a disgrace that RBS have not released the full figures and I stand here today calling on RBS to publically do so. Do not hide behind so-called commercial confidentiality, it will not wash.

“In my own constituency - Mallaig has 1,001 customers with 10,098 transactions. Kyle has 2,436 customers with 25,000 transactions. Beauly has 3,439 customers with 29,000 transactions. These are not small numbers.

“There are almost 7,000 customers in my constituency of Ross, Skye and Lochaber that rely on RBS providing banking services. Many of these will be joint accounts so the number of people affected will be even greater.

“RBS has also been economical with the truth when representing the expected number of redundancies in these branches by failing to account for part-time staff.

“The figure RBS issued in relation to job losses was 685 UK-wide, however this only represents the full-time equivalent redundancy impact. The actual job losses is much higher, 1446 UK wide, including many high quality, part-time jobs in rural areas with little prospect of redeployment. This is obviously likely to have a disproportionate effect in rural areas, disproportionately affecting women who are more likely to hold part time positions.

“There will be customers that have banked with RBS for decades, perhaps generations and RBS are now pulling out of town.

“I received the numbers of transactions from RBS two weeks ago and I have asked repeatedly to be given the relevant figures for all the branches in Scotland earmarked for closure.

“RBS have so far refused to release these figures. This is not good enough.”

RBS has been contacted for comment but is yet to make an official statement on the allegations.

Meanwhile, the fight to save two of the branches in the north-east of Scotland is gathering momentum, according to the organisers of petitions.

Turriff Business Association (TBA) earlier this month launched a petition calling for Royal Bank of Scotland to reconsider plans to close the town’s branch.

The cause has the support of Alistair Forsyth, a councillor and former RBS employee, and Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin.

Marj Chalmers from TBA, a group of around 60 companies, decided to set up a petition.

She told the local Press & Journal newspaper that people are “angry” that they face losing the high street branch on June 26.

“I’ve got a petition in my shop and I have filled six A4 pages with signatures,” she added.

“People are really angry because it is not easy to travel to New Deer (the closest branch) from Turriff because there is only one bus a day and a lot of people can’t drive.

“It is a complete area they are cutting and it isn’t easy to get to the ones they are leaving open.

“We’ve got people signing the petition who are not customers of the bank who just feel it’s not good for Turriff.”

Banff is the other north-east town battling to save its RBS branch.

Its doors will close for the final time on May 23.

SNP councillor Glen Reynolds decided to take up the fight and organised a protest march and petition.

He said: “In relation to Banff, we have about 200 signatories which we are really pleased at because it has been a difficult period for people venturing out with the weather.

“We see this as very positive and there is a real momentum building up in terms of the campaign.”