The Feeling's Mutual campaign is about reforming our economy to better reflect and promote co-operative principles and values. Part of that reform should be to ensure that financial services, such as banks and other lenders, are fair to their customers. Financial mutuals are owned by the customers, which injects democracy into decision making and ensures that all customers have a voice.

Mickey Keller reports on how one shareholder owned bank has failed to fairly treat some of customers by denying them access to basic services. 

A decision taken by the RBS Group, which includes Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Natwest, to restrict access to its basic banking customers, will prevent hundreds of thousands of customers from using ATMs except those belonging to RBS, NatWest, Tesco and Morrisons.

The no-frills no-fee basic account is available to people who may not otherwise be eligible for a bank account, carries no charges and is offered by all UK banks as part of a commitment to financial inclusion.

RBS faced fierce criticism from consumer groups when it first announced its intentions in August. The Treasury select committee has also written to bank bosses to express its concern. Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie wrote: "Your decision has major implications for access to universal banking customers and appears to target vulnerable customers who are most at risk of financial exclusion."

Despite RBS being 83% state owned and coalition claims to introduce ‘stronger consumer protection' and increase financial inclusion, the Conservative-led coalition has done little. Whilst the ‘Coalition Agreement' promised to foster diversity in financial services and promote mutuals the government deliberately delayed legislation designed to level the playing field for co-operative lenders.

Co-operatives and mutuals provide services to those often excluded from mainstream banking, providing equal access to every segment of society. Given the massive bailouts banks like RBS have enjoyed at the tax payers expense, isn't it time that banks are forced to follow suit and recognise their responsibilities to customers across the social spectrum?