MP Launches Fight against Government Threat to Local Post Offices

3.57.45pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 20th Oct 2006

Lynne Featherstone MP with Pat Patel, Postmaster at Hornsey High Street Post Office

Local MP, Lynne Featherstone, has launched a fight against Government plans to abolish the Post Office Card account which provides essential revenue for many local small Post Offices.

New figures obtained by the Lib Dems reveal the popularity in Hornsey & Wood Green where 5,810 people use the account, of which 1,370 are pensioners and the rest use the account for other benefits. It is therefore certain that local Post Offices will suffer financially as a result.

Ms. Featherstone comments:

"It is astonishing that the government seems intent on destroying a service which is of such great value to so many people across our local community. The post office card account offers a straight forward and affordable way for thousands of people in the area to receive their pensions and benefits, yet the Government is proposing to axe it.

"Without the vital revenue stream from the post office card account, the Government is further undermining the long term viability of the post office network meaning that even more than the 3,500 post offices already closed by Labour will be put out of business."

Commenting further on an Age Concern Report published earlier this month, Ms Featherstone MP added:

"The Government must pay far greater heed to the effects the closure of post offices have on a community - nearly 8 out of 10 people feel that the closure of their local post office would present a loss of essential local services.

The Age Concern report findings on Post Offices can be found at http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/BBA8F3E6C959416E9437E36F9B00EBD4.asp