Post Bank Coalition Response to Ed Davey
19th September 2011
The Post Bank Coalition welcomes the pledge by Postal Affairs Minister, Ed Davey, to the Lib Dem conference today (Monday) to make the Post Office 'the front office for government' but is disappointed at the government's refusal to embrace the idea of a Post Bank.
Lindsay Mackie of
the Post Bank Coalition said today: "Ed Davey's speech is
welcome, but we regret the government's refusal to date to set
up a Post Bank or even to establish a working party to examine the
viability of the plan. The post office network faces many closures
because sub post offices are losing business and revenue. Over 240
sub-post offices closed in the 18 months between April 2009 and
October 2010, outside of any programme of compensated closures
"Neither the Post Office nor the government has produced a viable strategy to maintain the network at 11,500 post office outlets or increase its revenue. Setting up a Post Bank, mutually or publicly owned, would produce a vital revenue stream and greatly increased footfall for the post office network.
"The post office network is in real danger of being unacceptably pared down. A Post Bank is the only real chance of creating revenue for this vital British institution."
