Banking Services: Accessibility

Katrina Murray Excerpts

Thursday 19th March 2026 Westminster Hall

[Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)]

I congratulate the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George) on securing this timely and appropriate debate. I will tell you a tale of three towns with relatively big populations on the outskirts of Glasgow, of a number of banks, of the actions of one banking group in particular, and of a community fight back.

When a bank moves out, what replaces it? For far too many communities the answer has been nothing. In Kilsyth in my constituency, that was exactly the situation. The last bank branch, the TSB, closed in 2021 prior to any automatic assessment for a community banking hub. When that branch went, something more than a service was lost. It meant longer journeys, less footfall, and real anxiety for people who simply want to manage their banking face to face.

I know from experience, having lost my father last year, that my mum—in her 80s, dealing with the bereavement and having to close his accounts—wanted to deal with the bank face to face. She did not feel comfortable using an app and did not want to talk to a call centre—they did not understand Scots law. I have spoken to local businesses that handle cash every day, which were left asking where they were supposed to go, and to older residents—not my mum—who do not bank online and should not be expected to, and I heard time and again that people should not have felt forgotten.

But Kilsyth did not accept it. The community spoke up. A request was made by my team, working with the local Labour councillors, Councillor Jean Jones and Councillor Heather Brannan-McVey, whose mum, Nan, was one of the previous bank staff—Heather is still known as “Nan from the bank’s daughter”—and indeed the whole local community. Link carried out the assessment, and we are expecting the interim banking hub for Kilsyth to be opened in the next few weeks.

This is what good looks like, in an area that lost its bank five years ago—a shared banking space; cash in and cash out; bill payments at the counter; customers being able to speak to somebody who will talk them through all the things they need to do. Every bank does different things through the hub. One improvement that could be made would be to offer a full range of banking services—but on different days, staff are there from different banks to deal with things that cannot be done on the app. It is not a perfect replica of the past, but it is a practical solution for the future. Crucially, it puts banking back where it belongs: in the community. In Kilsyth, it enables people to manage their money locally again and lets businesses bank their takings without leaving town, without pushing aside those who rely on cash. But communities like Kilsyth should not have to fight that hard just to get the basics back.

I want to talk about another banking group and the closure of Santander in Cumbernauld. We were notified in 2024 of a plan to close the Cumbernauld branch of Santander, with a suitable alternative available in Kirkintilloch, eight miles away or 25 minutes on one bus. The Cumbernauld branch closed on 3 July 2025. In late January, a few months ago, notification was given that the Santander branch in Kirkintilloch would close on 29 April, with alternative provision available in central Glasgow, 10 miles away from Cumbernauld and over an hour by most buses. I contend that if the plans had been more transparent, the original Cumbernauld closure should not have been supported, because there was not a reasonable alternative in place.

This is about making things transparent, being honest with communities, making sure people are not pushed aside and making sure we have systems for everybody. Banking hubs show what is possible when communities are listened to and industry steps up, but they are not a one-off success story. I ask the Minister: how do we go further and faster? How do we ensure transparency? How do we make sure more communities like Kilsyth, Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch get the access they need? How do we make sure we get face-to-face banking and not just cash? It is not a luxury.

Oral Answers to Questions

Katrina Murray Excerpts

Tuesday 9th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Torsten Bell]

The hon. Member is right to call those things a moral and economic disgrace. Does he know who created them? It was the Conservative party opposite. Who saw a 50% rise in the number of those not in education, employment or training? The party opposite. Who created the benefits system that is failing today? The party opposite. Who failed to reform the benefits system? The party opposite.

[Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)]

5. What progress she has made on the financial inclusion strategy. [R]

[The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Lucy Rigby)]

We published the financial inclusion strategy last month, outlining ambitious measures that will improve financial inclusion right across the country. I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for her advocacy on this issue through the all-party parliamentary group on debt and financial inclusion. In line with the priorities outlined by the APPG, the strategy champions inclusive design to make products more accessible, increases debt advice capacity and supports financial independence for survivors of economic abuse.

[Katrina Murray]

I welcome the Minister’s response. I am a long-standing member of the NHS credit union, which is one of the credit unions affected by the withdrawal of the family protection plan by CMutual on 30 November. Policyholders over the age of 70 who have paid premiums well in excess of what they would have expected to have paid out have been left in the lurch with no alternative provision given. I thank the Minister for what she has done so far in pursuing peace of mind for those who have tried to do the right thing and planned for their funerals, but in the interim, can she bring all the stakeholders to the table to try to reach a solution that benefits those policyholders in particular?

[Lucy Rigby]

As my hon. Friend knows, I have been very sorry to hear of the difficulties of those affected by the withdrawal of that product. I pay tribute to her for all her efforts and those of her colleagues. They are doing everything possible to assist constituents. My officials are monitoring the matter very closely. We encourage anyone with information relevant to the Financial Conduct Authority’s investigation to go straight to the FCA. However, I would be more than happy to do as she suggests and get the stakeholders together.

Regional Growth

Katrina Murray Excerpts

Wednesday 4th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)]

I welcome the recognition from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury that investment in public transport infrastructure and improved services opens opportunities to work. In contrast, my constituency, part of the Glasgow city region, is experiencing cuts to bus and rail services, which are proving a big barrier to people getting involved in working opportunities and social activity. Will my right hon. Friend join me in making representations to the Scottish Government to ensure that at least some of the record settlement that this Government have passed to Holyrood is spent on transport infrastructure?

[Darren Jones]

I thank my hon. Friend for making the case for her constituency. She is right that we have a shared view that investment in public transport is important for people’s livelihoods and their enjoyment of the communities they live in. Unfortunately, the SNP Government continue to fail to deliver on their promises, whereas in England we can show the difference a Labour Government make. I hope that in the future a Labour Government in Westminster and a Labour Government in Scotland will show what a new direction can mean for people in her constituency and across Scotland.

Financial Services: Mansion House Speech

Katrina Murray Excerpts

Monday 18th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Tulip Siddiq]

Our regulators do a very good job, and we are lucky to have them, but we will hold them to account. When the Chancellor talked about risk taking, she was saying that the post-financial crisis regulatory changes created a system that sought to eliminate risk, but which has gone too far and led to unintended consequences. For example, the certification regime has helped to improve standards and accountability, but some elements have become overly costly and administratively burdensome. That is what we are looking at. Getting rid of the regulators is not the way to grow the economy. Holding them to account, and considering how we increase risk taking in our system, is the way in which this Government will approach things.

[Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)]

As a long-term member of the NHS Scotland credit union, I know the importance of having community and workplace-based savings and lending provision, which is much more accessible for people on low incomes than buy now, pay later. However, it has become much more challenging for the sector to operate beyond the common bond. What is the Minister doing to ensure that credit unions are able not only to compete with the wider financial sector, but to thrive in those circumstances?

[Tulip Siddiq]

I absolutely share my hon. Friend’s enthusiasm for credit unions—I have visited those in my constituency several times and know what good work they do. We have made clear our strong support for the mutual sector. We recognise the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities, including in her constituency. The Chancellor launched a call for evidence on reforming the credit union common bond during the Mansion House speech last week. We want to understand whether reform is needed in that space to help credit unions to grow substantially. Once we have completed the call for evidence, we will consider how much of that reform we can take forward as a Labour Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Katrina Murray Excerpts

Tuesday 29th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Katrina Murray (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)]

“Buy now, pay later” is attractive to young people who are trying to survive on zero-hours contracts with irregular hours. What assurances can the Chancellor give me that the coming regulations will protect this group from problematic debt?

[The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Tulip Siddiq)]

The proposed regulations will drive high standards of conduct among “buy now, pay later” firms, ensuring that consumers receive clear information and have access to strong protections. Our proposals will also allow the Financial Conduct Authority to require “buy now, pay later” firms to carry out affordability checks, ensuring that firms lend only to borrowers who can afford to repay.