Lloyd's Bank's Passbook Slaughter: Dodgy Moves Afoot

By Jeff Prestridge

Updated: 18:56 EDT, 26 August 2023

Arthur Daley, that cheeky chap from the TV show Minder, would've blown a gasket if he caught wind of Lloyd's Bank's latest stunt. They're offing the beloved savings passbook, leaving a trail of fuming three million savers – most of them old-timers – in their wake. It's like a classic Daley scheme, dodgier than Arfur himself.

Remember old Daley? The crafty bloke George Cole played to perfection? Well, Lloyds is treading on his turf by snuffing out this treasured relic. The savings passbook, it seems, is as welcome as a flat tire on a getaway car.

And let's not forget our mates at Halifax and Bank of Scotland; they're sailing the same sinking ship.

But why is Daley's spirit haunting this financial fracas? Turns out he once hawked a savings deal on the telly, the "Liquid Gold" account. The moral? Better stash your loot than follow him into one of his harebrained schemes.

Fast-forward forty years, and the ghosts of Daley's hustles are back to haunt the Halifax Liquid Gold savers. A bunch of them are about to wave goodbye to their trusty passbooks.

Now, here's the kicker: Lloyds isn't axing the passbook to win a gold star for customer service. Their excuse? The "removal of [the] physical passbook." Yeah, they put it like that – a choice of words as appealing as a cold pie on a rainy day.

According to their secret scribbles, Lloyds isn't on a kindness crusade. They're on a mission to nudge folks away from their branches, like a shepherd herding sheep. The real deal? Get savers hooked on online savings or cozy up to the local post office.

And brace yourself, because this is just the beginning. The grand finale? A parade of branch closures, like a row of dominos, across all three brands.

For the faithful customers, it's a right mess. Shame on you, Lloyds.

P.S. Personally, I've got a soft spot for my Newbury Building Society passbook...

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