Nationwide should swallow Co-op Bank

Nationwide should swallow Co-op Bank

Patrick Collinson’s account of the coming demise of the Co-operative Bank (‘Ethical’ bank is history, 14 February) names Nationwide as the only remaining true “challenger” bank but not as a possible purchaser of the Co-op Bank. Why not? When, 50 years ago in my student days, I opened a Co-op Bank account I went next door to the Co-operative Permanent Building Society branch to start saving. That building society is now Nationwide. It’s still a mutual. Why can’t it go back to its co-operative roots? Failing that, Triodos Bank is small and undoubtedly ethical, but has no current account. Buying the Co-operative Bank would get it a lot of happy customers very quickly. I can’t see many of us staying if the bank is run from Spain or the British Virgin Islands.
Dr David Corke
Wimbish, Essex

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