SALMOND WELCOMES NEW MOBILE BANKING SERVICE FOR BUCHAN

ROYAL BANK STEPS IN TO GAP LEFT BY CLYDESDALE CLOSURES

Banff & Buchan MP Alex Salmond has warmly welcomed the announcement from the Royal Bank of Scotland that it is to commence a mobile banking service for the Buchan area.

The new service will start in January and will serve the communities of Cruden Bay, Strichen, Maud and New Deer which have all either lost or are about to lose their Clydesdale Bank branches.

Commenting, Mr Salmond – a former economist with the Royal Bank of Scotland - said:

“This is tremendous news for the communities concerned and will go a very long way to address the problems caused by the wholesale withdrawal of the Clydesdale Bank from most of the rural North-east.

“This new service will be a lifeline for those local businesses which have been abandoned by the Clydesdale as well as those personal customers who may be elderly or have their employment within the village.

“I am delighted that the Royal Bank have listened to the approaches which were made to the other Scottish banks and have decided that rural Buchan is worthy of a banking service.”

Local MSP Stewart Stevenson added:

“While the Clydesdale may have taken a commercial decision to close a quarter of their branches and open new outlets in the south of England, at least one of their competitors feels that rural banking has a future and I am thrilled by today’s announcement.

“Aside from the loss of a valuable service, one of the main fears expressed to me by constituents was the knock-on effect that the bank closures would have on local shops as people are forced to bank elsewhere.

“Now however, with the new mobile banking service, there is still every incentive for people to carry on banking in their own community and, importantly, keep spending their money locally.”