I live in Glasgow and am a retired NHS planning and public health manager. I have been a customer of the Cooperative Bank since I was a teenager, choosing it for its history and stance.
Throughout my career I have also been active in the politics of health movement and am now part of the Peoples Health Movement Scotland (PHMS). I am also involved with a small collective in Glasgow, Solidarity Against Neoliberal Extremism (SANE), in recognition that poor health and health inequalities are intrinsically linked to our current economy. Both groups are now participating in work aimed at highlighting the benefits of a wellbeing economy.
My reason for wanting to join the Board of Save Our Bank is linked to the work outlined above. The banking sector plays a significant part in the reinforcement of the capitalist economy and needs significant reform in the fight for social justice. For this to have a chance, it is important to have exemplars of a different approach to how banks operate. With the Cooperative Bank returning to the mutual fold, it seems to me that a campaign aiming to both democratise and extend the parameters of what it means to be an ethical bank has the potential to continue to exert pressure on the bank. If accepted onto the Board I would bring experience of strategy development and a grounding in social justice. As a member of another Board I am also familiar with the requirements of good governance.
