Westminster Candidate Seamus Logan Criticises Lloyds' Decision
>> 13 March 2024
SNP Westminster candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East Seamus Logan has condemned the decision by Lloyds Banking Group to close yet more Bank of Scotland branches across the North-east.
Lloyds Banking Group has announced the decision to close the Bank of Scotland branches in Banff and Buckie on 30th July and 1st August.
This comes on top of the removal of the two weekly banking vans across the constituency in places such as Keith, Cullen, Portsoy, New Pitsligo and nearby Turriff.
This decision has been taken despite Lloyds Banking Group posting profits of £5.5 Billion in 2023.
Footfall is cited as the reason for closures but Logan refused to accept this explanation.
Commenting, he said;
"Footfall is a very short-sighted view of loyal, local customers. Customer loyalty is also an important measure but this has been completely overlooked.
"Members of our more remote communities with complex care needs or others less technically competent particularly rely on the provision of traditional banking services locally.
“Poor public transport links are making things much worse as many will now have no local bank presence whatsoever and will find it difficult to travel to another Branch. It's a disgrace that the greed of bankers is more important than the communities that generated the profits for them.
“If Lloyds and others bank chief executives’ multi million-pound bonuses were reinvested in locally accessible services I would have more respect for them."
"Members of our more remote communities with complex care needs or others less technically competent particularly rely on the provision of traditional banking services locally.
“Poor public transport links are making things much worse as many will now have no local bank presence whatsoever and will find it difficult to travel to another Branch. It's a disgrace that the greed of bankers is more important than the communities that generated the profits for them.
“If Lloyds and others bank chief executives’ multi million-pound bonuses were reinvested in locally accessible services I would have more respect for them."
