Exclusive:Labour MP attacks banks for 'writing off local businesses and older people' with high street closures

Frank McNally said banks pulling out of towns was “reducing footfall and harming trade”.

It comes as 13 Bank of Scotland branches are set to close including one in Bellshill - in Mr McNally’s constituency.

The closure will make the town the largest in Lanarkshire without a bank.

Coatbridge and Bellshill MP Mr McNally said: “The planned closure of the Bank of Scotland branch in Bellshill – the last remaining bank in the town – is a real blow for our community. With that final branch gone, Bellshill becomes the largest town in Lanarkshire with no bank branch at all.

“Local businesses, older residents and those who struggle with digital banking are being written off by major banks, leaving our towns to deal with the consequences.

“This isn’t just happening in my area – communities right across Scotland and the UK are seeing their high street banking services stripped away.

“Rural and working-class towns and villages are often hit hardest, and as banks are a key driver for people going into their town centre, their removal has the added consequence of reducing footfall and harming trade.

“I recently met with Link, the organisation responsible for assessing banking provision, who told me that a key reason Bellshill does not qualify for a banking hub is because there is a bus service from the Main Street to Motherwell that takes less than 15 minutes.

“While that might be true in the best of circumstances, I think it’s an imperfect and unrealistic measure of accessibility, for many constituents, the journey is far longer and far less straightforward.

“I’ll continue to press both the bank and Link to deliver a proper alternative on our high street – whether that’s a community banking hub or a mixed-use facility that preserves face-to-face services. Bellshill residents deserve nothing less.”

It was announced in September that Lloyds Banking Group - which includes Lloyds Banks, Halifax and Bankd of Scotland - would shut 49 branches across the UK between January and October next year.

Bellshill is set to be the first Scottish one to close in January. It will be followed by Castle Douglas, Dingwall, Erskine, Gairloch, Glasgow Anniesland, Grangemouth, Hawick, Largs, Larkhall, Nairn, St Andrews and Tain.

This is on top of the closure of nine other branches which had already been announced between now and next spring

Some 17 NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland branches are also set to shut.

These are Auchterarder, Banff, Brechin, Burntisland, Carnoustie, Cowdenbeath, Crieff, Cumnock, Dunbar, Forres, Girvan, Huntly, Jedburgh, Kilwinning, Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart and Wick.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said at the time: “The way people are banking has changed, with over 21 million customers choosing our apps to manage their money. We’re providing more choice than ever before, bringing together the best in digital convenience with our people.

“Alongside our app, our customers can use any Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland branch, the Post Office or banking hubs for their everyday banking, and deposit cash at over 30,000 PayPoint locations.”