Last week the Conservatives forced a Commons vote in a last-ditch attempt to call a halt to the closure programme. Despite 90 Labour MPs, including 7 cabinet ministers campaigning to save their own local post offices, the government defeated the opposition motion, but with a majority much reduced from 68 to only 20.
Over the past ten years 4,900 sub-post offices have been closed. The current closure round is due to cut a further 2,500 post offices, expected to be around 15% in each county which may mean around 7 of the 48 post offices in the Ludlow constituency.
The government argue that many rural post offices make huge losses. But, under Labour the public sector services post offices can offer has been cut - no wonder they have become less profitable. Yet its confused closure criteria means that even profitable post offices are due to close.
The access criteria are also deeply flawed, especially for rural areas. The 3 mile access is as the crow flies, taking no account of topography (such as the Shropshire Hills) or natural barriers such as rivers, railways or busy roads. Nor does access to public transport feature prominently - perhaps not surprising since there is barely any left in rural Shropshire.
The Government must wake up to the fact that the real value of a post office cannot be measured simply by the profit it makes or the subsidy it requires.
As soon as we know which post offices are threatened I shall help those communities make the case to save their local post office. I hope you will join me in this campaign to preserve a vital part of the fabric of rural life.
