Experienced Investor
RBS and Lloyds confirm Scottish ‘yes’ exit plan
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will move its operations to London should Scotland vote to go independent, it has confirmed.
In a statement, it said it would be “necessary to re-domicile the bank’s holding company”. However, it will keep a significant level of jobs in Scotland, where it has been based since 1727.
Lloyds Banking Group, parent company of pensions provider Scottish Widows, Bank of Scotland and Halifax, also said it had made contingency plans to shift some of its business from Scotland in the event of a ‘yes’ vote.
However, it said it was a legal procedure and there would be “no immediate changes or issues”.
The statement from Lloyds said: “Lloyds Banking Group has seen an increased level of enquiries from our customers, colleagues and other stakeholders about our plans post the Scottish referendum.
“While the scale of potential change is currently unclear, we have contingency plans in place which include the establishment of new legal entities in England. This is a legal procedure and there would be no immediate changes or issues which could affect our business or our customers.
“There will be a period between the referendum and the implementation of separation, should a ‘yes’ vote be successful, that we believe is sufficient to take any necessary action.”
Meanwhile, Aberdeen Asset Management chief executive Martin Gilbert has told the Today Programme that independence would be a “great success”. The BBC reports Gilbert argues that using sterling could work, if the Scottish economy is in a strong position.
