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Public concerns ignored



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Published Date: 21 August 2008
The latest round of proposed post office closures is a bitter blow for the communities concerned, and it is particularly disturbing that these closures will impact hardest on the most vulnerable (your report, 20 August). Post offices provide a lifeline local service and, if these closures go ahead, it will undermine both the economic and, in many areas, social heart of communities.
The consultation undertaken by Royal Mail on the closures was little more than a sham, and it has simply failed to listen and act on the concerns of local people, the vast majority of whom opposed the closures.

Scottish Labour MPs consistently backed the UK government's policy, which has led to the butchering of these services, meaning it is more than a bit rich that they are now feigning outrage and concern.

ALEX ORR

Bryson Road

Edinburgh



The full article contains 142 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 20 August 2008 9:26 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Boy Wonder,

21/08/2008 07:42:57
"The consultation undertaken by Royal Mail on the closures was little more than a sham ..."

No ... it was a COMPLETE sham!!!
2

Linda,

Edinburgh 21/08/2008 09:37:21
At least 19 English Labour MPs rebelled about latest closures but none of the spineless Scottish Labour MPs at Westminster.
3

Upbeat,

21/08/2008 10:04:03
Most other nations have a local office in small communities where Government and regional matters are conducted, to the great benefit of small communities.

In the name of greed the government of the day dictatated that the Post Office , with its retail counters, could be taken out of Public ownership and privatised.

All that has happened since has been to the detriment of communities the length and breadth of Britain.

The really sily thing is that new "government" offices have had to be created to duplicate the work previously done by local post offices,( Local council "service point" offices ... too frequently remote from small communities, requiring transport to visit, while costing even more to run and staff. ) and we now have private internet cafe's, private courier firms and a few isolated cash point machines in the place of a dedicated local person who could help and advise.

Progress.. ?
4

Mari M,

Edinburgh 21/08/2008 11:31:46
Instead of moaning and counting MP voting for this or that, why doesn't Linda and Alex Orr and all the closure complainers actually use the post offices? Has she read the figures? How much of our tax it costs to sustain post offices that are grossly underused? It is patronising and insulting to suggest that old people can not use a bank account and need pensions e.g. paid in cash over the counter. Some may do - the vast, vast majority do not. For Mr Orr and Linda and the like this a political football - if the present government y were keeeping all uneconomic POs OPEN, they would be clamouring for them to be shut.
5

Amanda Huginkiss,

21/08/2008 11:33:54
It's well over 7 years since I had to use the P.O.and that was to buy stamps, available now everywhere!
6

G,

dundy 21/08/2008 12:55:44
So under-used expensive POs should stay open so pensioners who currently don't use them could?
This is stupidity on a massive level......
7

Upbeat,

21/08/2008 13:39:09
#6 G,

It's obvious to some of us that PO's should never have had the role they had within small communities diminished so far.

Give the PO's once again the ability to collect council tax, act as local bank, issue papers in connection with local government, act as information point for local government services, act as official repository of planning documents and other papers of concern to local communities etc and then there would be justification enough for maintaining many of the small Post offices. The council service points might then be considered an expensive luxury instead. It is the withdrawal of so many types of Government business over the past decade and clearlack of real will by Post Office Executives - to look for any alternative opportunities to serve the communities- that has made these smaller offices appear to be surplus to requirements and wholly uneconomic.

 

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