Highland MP, Drew Hendry has presented three separate petitions against RBS bank closures to Parliament, on behalf of residents of Grantown, Aviemore and Nairn, in a bid to get the UK Government to intervene on the banks decision to close local RBS bank branches.
The MP, who represents the constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey has been campaigning alongside local communities and businesses since the bank announced it intended to close 62 branches across Scotland. He held a day of action across the constituency back in May and has worked alongside the FBS, holding public meetings in Grantown, Aviemore and Nairn.
Residents have been signing his petition to pile further pressure on RBS chiefs to halt their “damaging and misguided” plans to shut down local branches.
Mr Hendry has also raised the issue with the RBS directly and several times in Parliament, calling on the Tory UK government to use its “power and responsibility” as the majority shareholder to intervene.
Commenting on the presentation of these petitions, Mr Hendry said:
“I have now presented three separate petitions to the House of Commons, calling on the Treasury, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and RBS to do what they can to stop these damaging closures. Over the past few months, residents in Grantown, Nairn and Aviemore have collected lots of signatures against the bank closures, showing the real depth of concern about these proposals.
“While digital banking may be the preferred way to bank for some, for many it isn’t even an option. A cash based business certainly can’t deposit their takings via a mobile app and several businesses have already raised concerns about the alternatives on offer by RBS.
“It is very clear that folk remain concerned about the removal of these banking services and want us to keep up the pressure on the bank and the UK Government.”