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'As Andy Burnham back the north, Lloyds consigns one of its famous banking names in dustbin of history'

'As sure as night follows day, low life shysters will use dumping of Halifax brand as way to try to con customers out of their life savings'

[Singing bank teller Howard Brown starred in Halifax TV ads in the 2000s]

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Singing bank teller Howard Brown starred in Halifax TV ads in the 2000s(Image: PA)

Just as PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham puts the north at the heart of his odds-on premiership, Lloyds chooses now to consign one of the region's famous banking names to the dustbin of history.

Why now? The buzzword was simplification, or in other words saving owner Lloyds Banking Group a chunk of money. And of course it needs to save a few quid given it raked a colossal 6.7billion profit in 2025.

Its telling how little the Halifax was mentioned in the groups near 300 page last annual report. This from a lender that catapulted singing bank teller Howard Brown to fame in the 2000s with its famous TV adverts.

A bank set-up specifically for working people. Those with spare cash could deposit it and receive interest. Others could then borrow funds to buy or build a house.

How times change. After becoming part of HBOS, it needed a 20billion taxpayer rescue in the 2008 banking crisis and is now part of a group worth 64billion.

Whats in it for customers? Essentially, nothing. They could of course vote with their feet and go elsewhere, but Lloyds will be conscious of how sticky most of us are when it comes to our current account provider.

[A branch of Halifax]

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Around 190 former Halifax branches will be left - but for how long?(Image: Google)

Lloyds is keen to stress it will be a hassle free transfer for customers. And, given they keep the same account details, that should be the case. Account numbers and sort codes will stay the same as they are now.

Your money is safe and remains exactly where it is, it stressed, while adding we will never ask customers to move money, transfer funds or share security details as part of this change. If anyone contacts a customer asking them to do this, it is a scam.

Thats crucial as you can be sure as night follows day that a hideous breed of low life shysters will use the change as way to try to con customers out of their life savings.

Its why branches are so important. If youre worried for whatever reason, checking by seeing the whites of the eyes of a bank employer over the counter is worth its weight in gold.

Most banks havent seen it that way, which is why hugely profitable Lloyds recently announced another 79 new branch closures, 75 of which will close in 2026 and four in 2027. The latest wave includes 48 Halifax.

And Halifax may not be the last famous banking name to disappear. There are reports Spains Santander could dump the TSB name following its takeover, a brand that dates back 216 years when the Trustee Savings Bank was set-up by a Scottish clergyman.

Other once staple names of our high streets that have vanished include Midland Bank (part of HSBC) and Abbey National (Santander).

Time change, and hitherto famous brands, are consigned to the past. But when the main reason its done is to make more money for owners - with customers an afterthought - it make it that bit harder to accept.

[Graham Hiscott]

Graham Hiscott

Graham is the Daily Mirror's Business and Consumer Editor, covering everything that goes on in the world of business and finance, from banks to energy companies, food firms to oil giants, as well as personal finance, but always with a focus on what it means to you, whether that's customers, workers or society in general.

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