Subject: Banking 'hub' for Moreton
"Mr Mayor. Thank you. While this is my first speech as councillor, it is not my first speech to council.
I have in the past, with the support and encouragement of my colleague, the late Chris Blakeley, spoken of issues of concern to people in Moreton and Saughall Massie.
I worked with Chris Blakeley.
Chris Blakeley was a friend of mine
And, Mr Mayor, Chris Blakeley is a very hard act to follow.
I hope Chris’s wife, Sandra, if she is watching tonight, knows how much he is missed across our community and how determined I am, along with Councillors Baldwin and Bennett, to continue his work.
Mr Mayor, in October last year I voted, along with every other councillor at that time, to support the Liberal Democrat motion on the important issue before us tonight.
I did so not only because my Group asked me to, I did so because my community demanded it.
This issue has generated the second highest number of contacts since I was elected, second only to the need to save Saughall Massie’s Green Belt.
Over the past few years Moreton has seen HSBC, Barclays, Santander and Lloyds withdraw from our town.
This is a town which, according to the most recent retail study, has more than 140 retail units.
The result of these closures has been to make yet another everyday task that little bit harder for people.
Let’s not forget that back in 2008, we, the taxpayers, bailed out banks in the UK to the tune of a net £28 billion.
We did not do that only for the banks to repay this trust by withdrawing services from communities up and down the country.
In spite of what they say, not everyone has an online account or even access to a computer – many people, myself included, prefer to deal with cash and humans. Not passwords and computer generated answers.
Today, much of the North of Wirral is a banking desert.
Having to travel for 30 minutes or more to deposit cheques and discuss personal matters on a one to one basis is not the answer.
Along with Councillors Baldwin and Bennett, we have been in touch with Link, before and since the council elections to push the case for a banking hub for Moreton and, most recently, submitted our bid as to why our town cannot be left behind any longer.
Mr Mayor, it is time we brought banking back to Moreton."
Vida Wilson
Local Conservative Councillor for Moreton West & Saughall Massie
