SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has accused the Tory Government of “failing to lift a finger” to save the 62 Royal Bank of Scotland branches set for closure north of the border.
Blackford said he had by-passed Prime Minister Theresa May, whose Government owns a majority stake in the lender, and instead had been in talks with RBS chiefs directly.
The MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, who has raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions three times since December, said: “The Tories are letting Scotland down by failing to lift a finger to save these vital local banks from closure – leaving many communities with the damaging prospect of losing their last bank in town.
“While the UK Government refuses to take action, the SNP will continue our campaign to save these banks, which are hugely important for local people and businesses.
“That is why I have, for the past few weeks, been by-passing the Prime Minister to talk directly with RBS. Our discussions have been productive, and are moving in a positive direction – I am hopeful the concerns of our communities are being heard and that a breakthrough can still be found.”
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