Lloyds is selling off many hundreds of its branches under the TSB brand as part of the deal it struck with the Government to receive help.

This brings to mind the Royal Bank of Scotland saga.

Many years ago it bought up NatWest when NatWest got into difficulties with expansion into the US.

At taxpayers’ expense, RBS is rebranding its English branches as Williams and Glyns before selling them off to a private equity group.

Why is this happening? NatWest is already a separate brand and a separate entity.

Surely it would be quicker, simpler and cheaper to float NatWest exactly in the way TSB is being floated on the stock market, wouldn’t it?

Why is TSB being sold off by public offer to everyone when assets in RBS are being sold to a private equity company?

RBS should be made to float NatWest to the public in the same way TSB is being floated by Lloyds – so that we as taxpayers can have some of our money back and the opportunity to buy shares.

We cannot go on rewarding failure at RBS by allowing the board to keep control of NatWest.

Nigel Boddy, former Brighton resident now living in Darlington, Co Durham