Labour AM challenged to back Lib Dem plans to save Post Offices

9.26.34pm GMT Fri 15th Dec 2006

Nick Tregoning with a local postmistress

Welsh Liberal Democrats in Gower are challenging Edwina Hart, the Labour AM for the constituency, to back Liberal Democrat plans to save Post Offices and invest in them.

The call was sparked by the recent Government announcement on Thursday 14th December of the closure of 2,500 Post Offices. From 2003 to 2005, eight branches in Gower were closed.

But Liberal Democrats say their plans for the Post Office and Royal Mail could see branches saved from the axe and new services provided from them.

"The Government has been stripping away services from the Post Office network," said Welsh Lib Dem Assembly candidate and Swansea Councillor Nick Tregoning "The inevitable result of Labour's decision to withdraw government business and with it the revenue it brought, has been the closure of branches.

"Earlier this year the Liberal Democrats agreed a number of radical policies to protect and improve the Post Office network. We would keep Post Office Ltd in the public sector but split it away from the Royal Mail. We would then raise £2 billion from the sale of a minority of shares in Royal Mail and invest this money in the Post Office network.

"This will mean new equipment and new services. We will free the Post Office from Royal Mail controls that prevent branches doing business for other parcel delivery companies. The investment will also enable Post Office branches to be the shop front for local government.

"We will also ensure that staff working for Royal Mail will be given a quarter of the shares in the company, allowing them to share in the success of the company and to be partners in it, similar to the way staff are partners in the John Lewis Partnership.

"It is now clear that the Blair/Brown government are washing their hands of the Post Office network. Their approach has been a combination of neglect and death by a thousand cuts.

"We are calling on Edwina Hart as the AM for Gower to back our plans for investment in Post Offices or to explain to her constituents why her colleagues in Westminster are so keen to close down so much of the branch network."