Can Alex Salmond save the Bank of Scotland HQ?
Alex Salmond has this evening gone out on a limb and promised that he will do all that he can to ensure that HBOS - now part of Lloyds Bank - retains a substantial head office in Scotland as well as safe guarding thousands of jobs at the under pressure operation. Fools folly or actually possible?
As much as Alex Salmond huffs and puffs for the electorate it is not down to him where the new HQ is and how many jobs are saved in Scotland. While yesterday he blamed 'spivs' for the debacle many feel that he is actually trying to muscle in on what is a stock market issue not an England v Scotland battle as he likes to make out.
Lloyds Bank will turn around and tell Mr Salmond that without their help he would have no jobs to save north of the border because the business would have gone down. Quite what Alex Salmond will say to that remains to be seen but like much of the early talk from the SNP it all seems to be for the cameras and the electorate. If he does manage to turn this story into an England v Scotland issue he could make himself look like a real fool.
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