The Last Post
Ideas for ensuring the survival of the Post Office network
Author: James Morris, Peter Luff MP, George Thomson, Lord Hanningfield - Sep 18, 2009
In both urban and rural areas the closures of local Post Offices has provoked anguish in the local communities that rely on them. The government has argued that the shrinking of the post office network is inevitable as a result of lack of profitability. In this Policy Platform we explore three perspectives which focus on the role that local government might be able to play in ensuring that the Post Office network is maintained and supported.
Lord Hanningfield, the Leader of Essex County Council, has been the most high profile exponent of the view that local government should increasingly become the custodians of the Post Office network. He argues that local authorities should become responsible for maintaining and sustaining the Post Office network in their areas. George Thomson, General Secretary of the National Federation of Sub Postmasters argues that local authorities should take a more active role in ensuring that they locate many of their services within the Post Office network. Peter Luff, MP for Mid Worcestershire and Chairman of the Business and Enterprise Committee, argues that Post Offices are vital ‘community hubs’ for many communities and demands innovative approaches are taken to ensure that many Post Offices can remain as viable businesses.
In our recent publication - More for Your Money – we also argued that it might be possible to use the Post Office as a vehicle for establishing a local investment fund. The purpose of this would be to encourage investment into social and environmental improvement schemes and help to strengthen the existing social investment market place in different places around the country.
The Post Office remains a vital hub in providing services in both rural and urban areas. However, if we are to secure its survival, it needs to become a provider of a greater number of services and information streams. At this point in time, any options on the table for securing its long term viability must be seriously considered.
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