Call for more bank accounts

BANK accounts should be a right not a privilege, Edinburgh East Labour MP Sheila Gilmore said today.

Opening her own House of Commons debate on basic bank accounts, she said people without a bank account often had to pay more for goods and services.

"For example, energy bills are more expensive when people can't set up direct debits and are forced to use pre-payment meters instead."

She urged the coalition to build on Labour's success in halving the number of people without bank accounts.

"People with poor credit histories should still be allowed to open basic accounts. If they don't have an overdraft, there is no danger of the bank losing money."