The Tories are driving the Post Office – yet another valued public service – into the ground through a privatisation regime of managed decline. Post Offices must remain in public hands.
It isn’t surprising that branches remain closed for so long. We are in the midst of a Postmaster crisis. They are getting such a poor deal that many of them are looking to hand in their keys.
While staff suffer and communities go without, Post Office Ltd has been celebrating increased profits. As the Special Shareholder, the UK Government cannot simply allow the market to dictate the future of a valued public service. They must intervene.
So many communities rely on Post Offices. Vulnerable groups and rural communities especially rely on them for financial inclusion. The closure of larger, public Crown branches has undermined the Post Office as a community hub for services. Post Offices need investment so they can become a central point for government services and banking services for people and small businesses.
