Therese met the Head of Corporate Relations and the Customer Care Executive of Barclays bank today to protest the impending closure of the Leiston branch and impress upon them the strength of local feeling to keep it open. Since its launch last Friday, 683 people have signed Therese’s Parliamentary petition that requests that the House of Commons urges the Government to encourage Barclays to keep open their Leiston branch and to require the Financial Conduct Authority to publish its assessment of the justification given by Barclays.
Therese said: “Barclays is the last bank in Leiston and the last branch of Barclays in Suffolk Coastal after the closures of seven other branches over the last decade. We are in a digital age but I know how much of a life-line local bank branches are for all sectors of the community, especially elderly residents and for local businesses.”
“My past experience is that Barclays is pretty shameful and shameless and will continue to try and close the branch but thanks to the number of petition signatories, I was able to demonstrate the strength of local feeling. I would urge people to continue to make their views known by signing it at www.theresecoffey.co.uk/campaigns. Hard copies have also been sent out to Leiston residents.”
Therese added: “Last year the government changed the law so the Financial Conduct Authority can start investigating these closures and that’s why I’m also pressing the case with them, including in the Treasury Select Committee last week.”
