RBS has suggested it could move billions of pounds out of Britain due to fears over a hard Brexit – despite the bank still being mainly taxpayer-owned.

Chief executive Ross McEwan sparked anger after claiming the Edinburgh-based firm would move more staff to its Amsterdam office.

2 RBS has suggested it could move billions of pounds out of Britain due to fears over a hard Brexit Credit: PA

MPs condemned the comments as “disgraceful”, given the bank was bailed out with £45billion of public cash during the financial crisis a decade ago, which still accounts for 62 per cent of it.

Tory Andrew Bridgen told the Daily Mail: “We ought to be taking tens of billions of pounds out of RBS, shouldn't we?

“The British government and the British people should expect more loyalty from a bank which was bailed out at great expense by the taxpayer due to neglect by their then chief executive.

“Effectively they're owned by the Treasury – the architects of Project Fear – so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised they're coming out with such doom and gloom predictions.”

2 Chief exec Ross McEwan sparked anger after claiming they would move more staff to its Amsterdam office Credit: PA

And former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “How rich is that?

“A bank that had to be bailed out by taxpayers who are paid a tiny fraction of what Mr McEwan earns and his first instinct is to cut and run because he hasn't got what he wants at this point. It's time he showed a little bit of humility.”

Mr McEwan made the comments in Edinburgh, telling reporters RBS has a licence in Holland and has the “systems in place” to move parts of the business.

He said: “My biggest fear is if we don't get messaging [on the Brexit deal] soon we are going to have to start moving as though it's a hard Brexit because I can't wait.”

RBS boss Sir Howard Davie grilled by MPs over mistreatment of small business customers

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Meanwhile RBS was ranked joint bottom of the personal banking league table, along with Clydesdale, and was bottom for business banking.

The Competition and Markets Authority revealed the figures in a bid to increase competition in the sector, showing fewer than half of its customers would recommend its customer service to friends and family.

And yesterday it was revealed RBS bankers joked about destroying the US housing market after making millions by trading loans that staff described as “total f***ing garbage”.