Post office closures
David Laws, MP for Yeovil constituency, has today criticised the Government’s plans to close 2,500 post offices which could mean at least 5 post office closures in Yeovil constituency alone.
The Government made the announcement today that the closures will start next summer and scale back the network to approximately 11,500 post offices.
“This announcement is a terrible blow to the post office network especially to rural communities which are especially reliant on their post offices.
“These plans will lead to the closure of 2,500 post offices – an average of 5 in every constituency in the country.
“The Government has tried to blame a fall in customer numbers and profit for the closures but it is the Government itself which is largely responsible for this – the Government has undermined the business of the network over the last few years by forcing people out of the post office for pension and benefit payments and taking away business for driving licenses, car tax and passports. Now the Government even intends to scrap the Post Office Card Account.
“The Government must take account of the crucial role played by post offices in many local communities. Post offices are a vital lifeline for many in local communities and Government policy must recognise this. It is years of neglect that have brought the Post Office network to this crisis point and the Government cannot simply walk away.”
Category: Constituency News