Eric’s ‘Winter Campaign’ Post Office Call

Posted on Thursday, 4th October 2007

I personally think that if something is not financially viable then we should look seriously at its continuing existence. It is apparent that a number of post offices have diversified to provide other servcies that will help ensure their continued existence. With the ending of Order Books for payment of Benefit and Pensions and the impending removal of Giro Cheques there would seem to be a diminished requirement for so many Post Offices. I did not see the same outcry when the super markets wiped out our high street butchers, green grocers and sweet shops. Then everybody just accepted the departure and welcomed the price cuts in their shopping bills. I don’t think we have a leg to stand on in the towns but I do think we should look differently at the rural Post Office issue. I would be surprised if more than one of Fleetwood’s Post Office is shut but Hambleton or Stalmine may suffer more severey. The real issue is access to services and should not be clouded by the sentimentality of ‘we like our local PO’ or ‘It is a community facility’. If the towns folk cabn get to the shops they can get to the Post Office.

I am more concerned as to what the government proposes in relation to the deteriorating mail services and the instrument of payment for Benefit customers who cannot handle bank accounts or who are bankrupt. I am not convinced the current POCA set up is ideal and that is about to be replaced with who knows what. When Giro Cheque payment is withdrawn what will Income Support customers do if they don’t have a bank account?It is not exactly quick to set one up.

I agree with part of what you say, but it does seem a bit like a set up by the Government that it removes services from Post Offices first, then having created the situation, can look to close so many on the grounds of non-viability!

As you also say, we all stood back as local high streets declined and these kind of Government decisions can only put a further nail into that coffin, just when the whole debate is under way about the need to reverse this on both environmental reasons and choice based reasons.

This problem partly stems from removing Royal Mail’s monopoly on postal services. By doing so they retain their obligation to provide a service across the country, whilst private companies can cherry-pick the most profitable areas. How is it then fair to judge them on market standards? Either accept they will have to run at a loss and be subsidised or give them back their monopoly.

I think nobody likes to see monopolies but as Conservative Essex has demonstrated, limited subsidies, particularly in rural areas, might give the breathing space to look at other services the Post Office could provide on behalf of local Councils.

In this way the heart of so many rural community services can be maintained – a pity Labour Lancashire is refusing to follow this positive Conservative lead.