A Scot of note closes his own account ... but is still in credit.His name is probably in your ipocket or your purse right now. iHis decisions may affect your ability to buy that new car or go on that foreign holiday. But Sir Bruce Pattullo - the retiring governor of the Bank of Scotland Bank of Scotland plc is a commercial and clearing bank, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. With a history dating to the 17th century, it is the oldest surviving bank in what is now the United Kingdom, and is the only commercial institution created by the Parliament of Scotland to whose signature appears on banknotes - remains a shy and private man. One of his rare ventures into the headlines came when he slammed devolution and warned of a "tartan tax The Scottish Parliament has the power to vary income tax by +/- 3p in every pound. This is known as tartan tax, a reference to the tradition of clan tartans. The Scottish Parliament is yet to utilise its tax varying powers. ". John Prescott accused him of waging his very own Yes-No campaign. And he's strongly against European monetary union European Monetary Union An agreement by participating European Union member countries that includes protocols for the pooling of currency reserves and the introduction of a common currency. . But he STILL likes to keep himself to himself. He once said: "It is not vital to have an outgoing personality. I believe egos in banking are a little dangerous." The ultimate company man, Sir Bruce retires after 37 years service - in which he rose through the ranks. He led the electronic banking revoloution, turning the Bank of Scotland into one of the UK's most successful institutions, with a market value of pounds 6 billion. He's one of Scotland's vital players on the world financial stage. "He's very single minded," says someone who knows him well. "He's devoted to the Bank of Scotland. "He was frequently tipped to be governor of the Bank of England The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor. but there was no way he would ever accept that. "He's very much a Scot, very much an Edinburgh man." Sir Bruce, 60, is also an avid tennis player who organises a tournament in his own back garden every Saturday. He's a contemporary of the more flamboyant Sir George Younger, the former Tory Minister who's now head of the Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (Scottish Gaelic: Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba . Edinburgh- born Sir Bruce joined the Bank of Scotland as an Oxford graduate trainee in 1961. "But he's not the emotionless e·mo·tion·less adj. Devoid of emotion; impassive. e·mo  tion·less·ness n.Adj. 1. person you might expect," said an insider. "He's very human, with a sense of humour Noun 1. sense of humour - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humor, humor, humour . "He loved it when he got a circular from the Italian Embassy asking him if he wanted to vote in the Italian elections - they thought he was Italian because of his name." In fact, the name was Pattulloch and came from lawyers and tattie merchants in Forfar. Sir Bruce, who'll be succeeded by Sir Alistair Grant, 61, is likely to enjoy a quiet retirement - with wife Fiona, his four children and NO overdraft worries! |
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