Santander closing further 44 branches as it gears up for £2.6bn takeover of TSB

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondentJanuary 29, 2026 at 11:40 AM

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AI Summary

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Santander is closing 44 UK branches, putting 291 jobs at risk, due to increased digital banking adoption. This represents over 12% of its UK branch network, leaving 305 sites, though only 244 will offer full services. The closures come as Santander prepares for its £2.6 billion takeover of TSB, a deal that raises concerns about further job cuts and branch closures across the combined entity. The acquisition, pending regulatory approval, would make Santander the third-largest UK bank by personal current account deposits. Santander will contact vulnerable customers impacted by the closures to help them transition to alternative banking methods. The bank is also facing potential compensation payouts related to a motor finance scandal.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

CWU 30% Mike Regnier 40% Lloyds 50% NatWest 50% UK ×580% TSB ×790% Santander ×11100%

Keywords

santander 90% branch closures 90% tsb takeover 80% digital banking 70% job cuts 70% financial services 60% uk bank 50% mortgage advice 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United Kingdom

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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santander branch closures tsb takeover digital banking job cuts financial services uk bank mortgage advice

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