18/10/06 - Council Counters To Save Our Post Offices

Conservatives have thrown their support behind a countrywide campaign to save the nation's network of rural Post Offices, and David Cameron has promoted a special action plan designed to prevent further closures and cutbacks.

With hundreds of sub-Post Offices threatened with cash curbs and closures, the Conservative Leader challenged Tony Blair to consider new ways of maintaining services - including a plan for more local council work to be channeled through the Post Office network, which could help local authorities more effectively engage with local communities.

Meeting with representatives of the National Federation of SubPostmasters as they staged a mass rally outside Parliament, the Opposition Leader declared: "Under Labour around a quarter of the UK's Post Office network has closed, depriving people of vital services and hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Decisions by this Government have contributed to losses being made by the Post Office network."

Stressing the importance of the social role played by Sub-Post Offices, he went on: "That's why we have developed, in partnership with our colleagues in local government, the idea of providing council services through 'Council Counters' in Post Offices. Council Counters would improve engagement with local residents, ensure that vulnerable people had access to vital services and help to secure the long-term future of the Post Office network."

Mr Cameron also revealed that he has written to Margaret Eaton, Vice-Chairman, Local Government Association and Chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association, proposing a range of measures for safeguarding the future of the Post Office.

These include the "Council Counter" plan - under which Conservative groups in local government examine what services they could provide though Post Offices and whether they could use the network in their area to better engage with local residents.

Conservatives have also proposed freeing up subpostmasters and postmistresses to provide a greater range of products and services, including private mail services; as well as a scheme whereby people with concerns about a range of Government services can use their local Post Office as a kind of 'Government GP'. Trained staff in Post Offices could then advise on issues like tax returns, pension entitlements, the opening hours of local pharmacies, and how to apply for a disabled parking badge.

Mr Cameron has also called on the Government to review the decision to abolish the Post Office Card Account, which is vital for people who do not have bank accounts and around one million of the most vulnerable who cannot get a bank account.

In Commons exchanges with the Prime Minister, which coincided with the rally involving thousands of postmasters and postmistresses, Mr Cameron said: "We were promised a one-stop shop for government services that was never introduced; a Post Office Card Account was introduced, but is now under threat; and the option of letting sub Post Offices compete in new areas was never seriously looked at. Will you guarantee that all these things are looked at properly in the Government review."

Robert Buckland, South Swindon Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, "The Post Office network is an essential service for local residents, especially the elderly and vunerable who are unable to easily travel to the main Post Office branch in the town centre."

Cllr Justin Tomlinson, North Swindon Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, "Myself and Rob have written to Swindon's Labour MP's to put pressure on them to support the 400 MP's who have signed an early day motion calling for the decision to scrap the Post Office Card account to be reversed.  In addition, I have written to both the Leader & Chief Executive of Swindon Council to urge them to do everything they can through the Council to support our Post Office network."