Dugdale demands more thinking about closing the Museum on the Mound

Kezia Dugdale MSP has called on Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) to reverse plans to close the Museum on the Mound to the public at the end of this year.

Lloyds Banking Group controls The Museum on the Mound explaining money, coinage and economics and welcomes over 50,000 people each year through its doors. The museum is famously home of Scotland’s oldest banknotes, a display of one million pounds and also the Founding Act (of the Scots Parliament) of 1695.

Ms Dugdale points out that there are iconic items from Scotland’s past on display and the museum delivers  high-quality, hands-on money-themed sessions to some 4,000 school pupils a year, with schools from every local authority in Scotland having paid a visit there. The schools’ service is consistently rated by teachers as excellent, and was developed in conjunction with Education Scotland to fully support Curriculum for Excellence.

If this museum closes then it would be directly contrary to the bank’s Helping Britain Prosper programme, and in particular its commitment to local communities.

Last week in the Scottish Parliament, Lothian’s MSP Kezia Dugdale lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament opposing the closure and asking Lloyds Banking Group to consider their decision again.

Ms Dugdale said: “The proposed closure of the Museum on the Mound by Lloyds Banking Group would be a huge blow for not only Edinburgh, but also for the thousands of school children from across Scotland who visit the museum each year to learn about money and finance. Over recent days I have had a number of constituents write to me to raise their anger over the decision to close the Museum by Lloyds.

“The museum has received praise from local authorities, teachers and other educational professionals across Scotland. For Lloyds Banking Group to deliberately put an end to all of this will leave Scotland’s schools and children very much the poorer.

“I am seeking an urgent meeting with Lloyds Banking Group to discuss the proposed closure and what can be done to keep this unique educational and tourism asset open for all. In addition to this I have also written to Fiona Hyslop the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs to ask what support the Scottish Government can offer to stop the closure of the Museum.

“I hope that Llyods will see sense over this issue and reverse the closure which will not only see people put out of jobs, but which also runs directly contrary to their own plan to support people, communities and businesses to prosper trust to the bank and the financial sector as a whole. “