New threat to remaining Post Offices in Weaver Vale thanks to Gordon Brown : Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale
Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale

New threat to remaining Post Offices in Weaver Vale thanks to Gordon Brown

Loss of Post Office Card Account threatens more post office closures

Weaver Vale  faces a second wave of post office cuts, Cllr Graham Evans, Weaver Vale’s Prospective MP, warned today a further 1 in 4 post offices could close down, on top of existing plans that have already  closed 6674 Post Office’s since 1999 including the lost of the excellent Post Office in Overton in February.

·         Loss of Post Office Card Account: The National Federation of Sub-Postmasters has stated that 3,000 post offices will forced to close if the Post Office Ltd loses its contract for the Card Account. The Card Account is used by 4 million people each week to access pensions and benefits.

·         Further 1 in 4 post offices under threat: Card Account transactions bring in 12 per cent of sub-post offices’ income, and 1 in 4 of all visits made to post offices each week are by Card Account customers. The Federation has estimated that another 3,000 post offices will go out of business – on top of the current round of 2,500 cuts nationwide – if they lose the right to handle state pension and benefit payments.

·         Labour Government to blame: The current Post Office Card Account contract ends in 2010. Gordon Brown’s Government is replacing it with a new contract (so-called ‘POCA2’), but due to EU rules, it has to put the new contract out to competitive tender. Conservatives have repeatedly called on the Government to continue the Card Account beyond 2010.

Cllr Graham Evans commented:  “I am very concerned about Gordon Brown’s plans for a second wave of post office cuts. A cloud of uncertainty now hangs over our vital community services. The future of Saturday deliveries is in doubt and local post offices are closing by the week across the country. Our postal service faces death by a thousand cuts – thanks to Gordon Brown.”

May 2008