It is hard to argue with the words of Bill Jamieson (your report, 13 December) regarding the fiasco that is now the Bank of Scotland.
I, too, have been a customer for more than 50 years and am also a long-term shareholder. I am appalled by the utter incompetence demonstrated by the board of Bank of Scotland. Clearly, their badly judged decisions have ruined the bank.
If it is co
nfirmed that Andy Hornby, the chief executive, has, indeed, been offered and accepted a position with Lloyds TSB at a salary of £720,000 pa, then it beggars belief. It represents the sticking up by Hornby of two fingers to his loyal bank staff, to Bank of Scotland customers and to the bank's shareholders – those he was appointed to serve. It is behaviour like this that gives capitalism a bad name and speaks volumes about the culture of greed among those who have brought the Bank of Scotland to its knees.
Someone said on television that these people should be thrown into jail for what they have done. Perhaps this is just a little strong, but certainly they should never be allowed to serve in senior positions again.
MARTIN E PAYNE
Mercat Green
Kinrossie, PerthshireI think Bill Jamieson may be wrong in his belief that he has been an account holder with the Band of Scotland for 53 years – I understand the British Linen Bank merged with the BoS in 1971. So it has been part of BoS for only 37 years.
After that, BoS continued its excellent tradition of banking service and, indeed, in the those days, the Halifax was a typical sound building society. The rot set in when the Halifax started to be a "sort of a bank" – customer service plummeted. I was appalled when the BoS then merged with the Halifax. After two years of chaos, things improved from a customer point of view. I just hope we do not have to go through a repeat of those dreadful years if and when the two bank systems (LloydsTSB and HBOS) are merged.
One further point – in your Editorial, you refer the BoS as the oldest Bank in the British Isles. The Bank of England was founded by a Scotsman, William Patterson, in 1694. The Bank of Scotland was founded in 1695 by John Holland, an Englishman.
(DR) FR PARTINGTON
Glamis Road
DundeeCongratulations on your excellent coverage of the "Death of a Bank". A very sad day for Scotland is marked by moving journalism that precisely echoes the sentiments of many people in this country.
If we are to accept the Bank of Scotland is, indeed, dead, and given its roots in an act of the Scottish Parliament in 1695, perhaps it would be appropriate to create a New Bank of Scotland by way of a new act in a new Scottish Parliament, with a new constitution, a new set of rules and new standards designed to prevent a repeat of the outrageous and despicable actions that led to the demise of our oldest bank.
ALASDAIR GILLIES
Bowmore
IslayYour otherwise excellent analysis of the rise and fall of HBOS omits one crucial factor – the political element. Once Alex Salmond and Alex Neil became involved, party politics and point scoring demeaned the campaign to "save" the bank. Snide remarks about "Number Ten" would have frightened off any genuine international interest. Mr Salmond just cannot help being the opportunist opposition politician. He is unable to rise above putting the boot in, even when diplomacy is required.
ALEXANDER McKAY
New Cut Rigg
Edinburgh