The Royal Bank of Scotland will betray both its country and its workers in the Edinburgh West constituency – which is home to the bank’s head office – if it flits to London, according to Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party.
Thousands of directly-employed workers and contractors work at the Royal Bank complex at Gogarburn, near Edinburgh airport – both of which are in the Edinburgh West British parliamentary constituency seat (see map attached).
Party Leader Mark R. Whittet is standing for Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party as the SIRP candidate in Edinburgh West.
He said: “As a resident of Edinburgh West, I know how important it is to thousands of families in this constituency that the Royal Bank of Scotland remains IN Scotland and in this seat.
“The Royal Bank of Scotland would be betraying its workers in Edinburgh West if it moved to London – which would also be an act of political, economic and moral betrayal of Scotland – the country which gives the Royal Bank its very name.
“Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party calls on Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of the Royal Bank, to stop playing politics with peoples’ jobs and to scotch its treacherous ‘get out of Brexit’ plans.
“With Independence, Scotland would remain – as wanted by the vast majority of Scots voters – in the EU without having to take an economic gamble with England on Brexit.
“With Scotland as a member of the European Union, there would be no need for the Royal Bank of Scotland to flit to London, or anywhere else – as it would have ongoing and continued access to the biggest free-market in the world.
“A number of major international banks with offices in London – which would be cut-off from the EU and isolated after a ‘full English’ Brexit – have already announced plans to re-locate offices back INTO existing EU member nations in the Republic of Ireland and Germany.
“Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party also now calls on Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to stand up for Scotland by directly inviting major banks and financial institutions in London to de-risk the huge Brexit downsides by re-locating to Edinburgh West (beside the Royal Bank of Scotland) and remain in an Independent Scotland in the EU.
“Banks – like oil companies, airlines and international IT giants – can, and do, operate around the world. But they all want to remain in the EU and Scotland is the best option for them to do that when London gets yanked out by Brexit.”
Note; Extract of article published in Glasgow Herald 12 May 2017
ROYAL Bank of Scotland has refused to rule out moving its headquarters to England should the starting gun be fired on a second referendum on Scottish independence.
Chairman Sir Howard Davies yesterday told shareholders the bank would keep them “posted” on any contingency plans to move south if there is a second referendum called as he addressed the AGM.
The bank, which is 73 per cent owned by UK taxpayers, controversially stepped into the constitutional debate in the run-up to the last referendum in 2014 by declaring it would move its head office to London if Scotland voted to leave the United Kingdom.