MP's bid to save rural post offices
MP’s bid to save rural post offices
From WESTERN MORNING NEWS, February 1st, 2001
ST Ives MP, Andrew George is urging the Government to safeguard rural post offices which are, he says, closing at an alarming rate. A recently published analysis of post office closures since May 1997 revealed that Cornwall has lost 24, mainly due to the resignation of the postmaster of postmistress, termination of contract and retirement, and only five of those have reopened. Mr George said: “The post office is often the lifeline of our rural
communities and any threat to them must be stamped out. We cannot allow these closures to continue. “I understand that the Post Office estimates that an additional 1,000 sub post offices will close due to the new Government
initiatives launched last year.” He warned: “We are in danger of losing this valuable service altogether and the Government must act now to halt the number of closures and safeguard our post offices.” Mr George has also hit out at proposals to privatise the postal service, warning that rural communities will suffer the most. He fears that plans for privatisation and free-for-all competition will result in the shareholders taking priority over customers. He concluded: “The disastrous privatisation of water and rail should sound enough warning bells for us not to let our postal services go the same way.”
Copyright 2001 Western Morning News. Source : World Reporter (Trade
Mark) – FT McCarthy
