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'''Santander UK plc''' is a [[United Kingdom]] bank, wholly owned by the [[Spain|Spanish]] [[Santander Group]]. Santander is the third largest bank in the UK in terms of deposits, the second largest in terms of mortgages held, and the fourth largest in terms of branches operated, with over 25 million customers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wcgplc.co.uk/content/wcsi/docs/Santander%20UK%20Factsheet.pdf |title=Santander UK plc |date=26 July 2012 |publisher=Walker Crips |accessdate=16 November 2012}}</ref> In total, the UK arm now has more than 1,300 branches, employing more than 20,000 people throughout the UK.
The bank was formed in January 2010 when [[Abbey National]] plc, which also by then included the savings business and branches of [[Bradford & Bingley]] plc, was renamed Santander UK plc. Alliance & Leicester plc merged into the renamed business in May 2010. In 2012, Santander pulled out a deal to buy the [[Royal Bank of Scotland]], citing technical difficulties and a series of delays as a factor in their decision to
end the deal. Santander has frequently been ranked the worst bank in the UK for customer service.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/feb/26/santander-britains-worst-bank|date=26 February 2011|title=Is Santander Britain's worst bank?|publisher=The Guardian|author=Patrick Collinson|accessdate=16 November 2012}}</ref> Between 2007 and 2010 it was ranked as worst bank for customer service in the [[J. D. Power and Associates|J. D. Power]] UK Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, however in the 2011 survey it had improved to second worst.<ref name="JDPower">{{cite web|url=http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/evnNyBF/2011-uk-retail-banking-satisfaction-study.htm|title=2011 UK Retail Banking Satisfaction Survey}}</ref>
In October 2011, [[Moody's Investor Service]] downgraded the credit rating of 12 UK financial firms including Santander UK, blaming financial weakness.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15211230 UK financial firms downgraded by Moody's rating agency], BBC News Online (October 7, 2011)</ref>
In 2012, Moody rated Santander UK as being in a more financially healthy position that it's parent company, [[Banco Santander]]; less than 1% of Santander UK's business is held abroad. <ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18114153</ref>
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