Post Office Closures – A Legacy Of A Labour Government?

Post Office Closures – A Legacy Of A Labour Government?
Post Office Closures – A Legacy Of A Labour Government?

As Beverley wakes up to the prospect of losing its town centre post office, politicians are already turning Post Office closures into a political football.

Post Office closures are nothing new. Thousands of them have disappeared from our high streets as technology helps make life easier.

Gill Furniss MP, Labour’s Shadow Postal Services Minister, issued her comments regarding the further 74 Crown Post Office closures. She said;

“Thursday’s announcement risks a further 700 jobs and is another blow to our high streets.”

“The Government strategy of managed decline means services have suffered, affecting the most vulnerable in communities.”

“There are serious questions about transparency given the significant sums of public money used to finance the closure and franchising of the Crown Post Office network.”

“The next Labour government will end the closures of our Post Offices and give communities the ability to shape their high streets and town centres, by strengthening their powers to protect post offices.”

However, if you look at this policy, you will see that Labour has been leading the way when it comes to closing post offices.

When in last in power Labour closed 4000 post offices and supported privatising parts of the service. Something Gill Furniss MP seems to have conveniently forgotten.

Post Office closures likely to happen in Beverley

Beverley Post office is likely to be closed. The Post Office as a whole has to meet six Access Criteria guidelines. If the town centre shut, these would still be met in this town.

Customers who walk into Post Offices and banks for that matter are in decline. Both Post Offices and Banks and closing branches as they adapt to what customers want.

Historically the Post Office was a hub where you got your official documents from. Be this taxing your car or obtaining a Passport. 

This is no longer the case.  The added value services once offered are all now web-based.

It is years since I went to the post office to buy a tax disk for my car. Things have changed that much we do not even have disks on our cars now.

It is not an ideal situation to lose the Post Office. However, it is worth being mindful over the coming weeks as various political parties try to gain the moral high ground.

And remember, we have some really good Post Offices inside shops and operated by small businesses. The same way we try to buy local now is the time to give those your business.



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