MPs have backed a Bradford & Bingley Building Society campaign to prevent it becoming a bank.

Bradford's Parliamentary representatives are behind the drive to keep the society mutual - in the face of pressure from some of its members to convert it to a bank.

And Keighley Labour MP Ann Cryer fears huge job losses in the district if conversion goes ahead.

"For my constituency, it could mean a loss of a great, great many jobs. The society employs probably more people in Keighley than any other organisation outside Airedale Hospital. To me that's very important," she said.

Both administration centres and branches could lose jobs, she believes.

Mrs Cryer also said borrowers and lenders were both better off in the long-term with a mutual building society.

Terry Rooney, Bradford North Labour MP, said he agreed that mutuality was best for the building society's members.

Shipley Labour MP Chris Leslie said the lump sum being offered to members to entice them to vote for conversion was "fool's gold."

"Local people in particular are likely to lose far more over the coming years should Bradford & Bingley turn into a bank," he said.

The Bradford & Bingley said today it had won backing from nine out of ten MPs to stay as it was. A survey carried out on behalf of the society, which included Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs, found 91 per cent expressed the view that it could best serve its members by remaining a mutual building society.

MP Andrew Love, chairman of the All Party Building Societies Group, said: "Along with other mutual building societies Bradford & Bingley provides consumer choice and increases competition with the banks. If members look to their long-term interests, they should vote to keep it a building society."

The independent MP Martin Bell has issued a letter to newspapers urging Bradford & Bingley members to: "Make a stand against carpetbaggers."

The society will face a crucial vote at its annual meeting next Monday when a resolution from rebel member Stephen Major to convert to a bank is put before members.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.