Isle of Man Bank For Sale
I bank with the Isle of Man bank because it seemed the logical choice to me. I am Manx, I live on the island and my company is a registered Manx company.
If I lived in Leeds then I might have considered the Yorkshire Bank and if I lived in the far east the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) might have been my first choice but I don’t, I’m on the Isle of Man and proud of it too!
Of course the truth is I am actually with the Royal Bank of Scotland because they own the Isle of Man bank but it could have been worse and it could yet get a LOT worse.
Sure they (RBS) dragged it into the 21st Century and we now have internet banking (thank you) and the like but for the most part, the RBS recognised the IOM bank worked well on the island and left it to get on with business as normal.
When you walk into 2 Athol St, at the heart of the Manx financial sector you feel like you just walked into a real bank, a bank with traditions and standards. Check out the huge domed ceiling, the hardwood counters and the large wooden query desks.
Just the size of the place is a throw back to banks of old and I always think of the many famous Manx folk who must have walked through those very same doors every time I enter the place.
Its certainly not the cheapest for business banking but they make up for that with their personal touch. It’s called the Isle of Man bank and the staff really act like they are THE islands bank.
It could be national pride, it could be a pride in working in a building steeped in history or perhaps it’s simply a great place to work with plenty of craic, I don’t know but I like it.
This weekend that sad little excuse for a UK chancellor Alistair Darling announced the British Government plans to sell off chunks of the banks they purchased during the bail outs earlier in the year.
The jungle drums are saying he wants to sell to introduce new banking institutions to bring in some different blood. Names being thrown around include Virgin and Tesco.
Now it’s sad enough that the Isle of Man bank is a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland but it would be too much for it to fall under the umbrella of a trumped up grocery store or worse, falling into the hands of an egomaniac hell bent on world domination.
Richard Branson has already expressed an interest in buying Citizens Bank from the RBS and it’s not beyond reason that he may want a foot hold on the island. As a billionaire, why wouldn’t he?
So why don’t the Isle of Man Government purchase the Isle of Man Bank and prevent it being sold off to any Tom, Dick or Lex Luther?
Although it was the first ever formed Manx company registering for business on 26th October 1865 and issued with company number 1 it has been owned by foreign companies since it was first taken over by the London based National Provincial Bank in 1961.
Step up to the plate House of Keys and get us back our bank!
Contact the Chief Officer here and tell him you want the Isle of Man bank to have the freedom to flourish.
