Don’t blame us, says Brown
Tuesday 1st April 2008, 11:40AM BST.
Gordon Brown has rejected charges that the Government is responsible for the closure threat to Shropshire’s post offices.
The Prime Minister said there was a clear appeals process for protesters to follow, which could lead to them taking their case right to the top – to Post Office chairman Allan Leighton.
And he said people in Shropshire who see their post offices close should be able to take advantage of mobile post offices which would be introduced in rural areas.
Speaking about the closure programme at 10 Downing Street last night, Mr Brown told the Shropshire Star: “These are decisions not being made by the Government. They are being made by the Post Office.
“I don’t think you should confuse a situation where the Post Office is in charge of the network, not the Government.
“We want to see a thriving post office service in every part of the country, and we want particularly to bear in mind the needs of the rural community.
“But this is a decision that’s been made by the Post Office itself.
“They have said to us they need money from us to enable them to carry out a programme which will cost us £1.7 billion over the next few years. Remember when there were thousands of closures under the Conservatives,
“Government money was never provided for any transitional help or any support for the existing system. We are providing £1.7 billion to help these changes in a way that’s more sensitive to the needs of the people, and we are continuing the annual network subsidy until 2011.”
Mr Brown said there were options for communities to run post offices themselves or to set up services in village halls, for instance, but he acc- epted these were not always viable.
“We are creating 500 new outreach services and some of the post offices you are talking about in your area will benefit from the outreach services – basically that’s mobile post offices,” said the Prime Minister.
Special report by London Editor John Hipwood
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I have asked 12 people this morning where they buy their car tax – 12 people said: “online”. I asked them where they buy their stamps: “supermarket”. If local people don’t use the post office then they lose it – pretty simple. Unless we put taxes up or the council take it on…
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“Don’t blame us says Gordon Brown” – “These are decisions not being made by the Government. They are being made by the Post Office.”
And who owns the Post Office? And who took away a large percentage of their business? And who doesn’t give a damn about the people of this country, especially those on low incomes in rural areas?
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If this is nothing to do with the Government – why did they have a debate on it in the House with the Labour MPs voting for closure and the Conservatives voting to keep them open. If a Post Office is listed for closure in the constituency of a Labour MP, HE/SHE SHOULD BE ASKED TO CLEARLY SAY, WITHOUT LIES OR WAFFLE, WHAT THEY VOTED FOR. I repeat, Labour MPs voted for closure albeit they told their constituents that they wished to keep them open.
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Exclusive! Gordon Brown declares himself not responsible! So, therefore, he must be Irresponsible?
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For the benefit of both the Tories and Labour the post office closure programme is because an EU directive, which took away the right of HMG to decide by how much it subsidised the post office, at the same time opening up competition to our postal service to Europe. The net result of this was that HMG could only pay the Post Office £150 million each year over 3 years instead of the 208 million they needed at the time. That subsidy has run out meaning not only more debt but lost revenue from the profit-making sections hived off to the rest of Europe. As it was this Labour Government that signed up to the ‘Harmonisation of Postal Services Directive’, it is indeed HMG to blame.
The Irish people are fighting back. We still could get a referendum.
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we’re all to blame really, but i must admit i did get my car tax disc at madeley post office,but got 12 stamps at asda,if we do lose 2 out of five post offices,make the ones that are left be more competitive,12 stamps for the price of 10 etc then i’ll buy more at the local office.
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Hands up all those who believe Tories wouldn’t be closing them down?
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gordon, you are speaking arrant nonsense, it is we the people who own the post offices temporarily run for us and the government by a post office out for a quick buck (sorry telford fans) and privatisation. gordon you don,t know how temporary you are, but as the opposition are either a bunch of spivs or no hopers, you may survive, to close more po’s down
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We DO blame you Mr Brown as you will see at your cost come the general election. Then you’ll find out what its like to be redundant and of now use. Shortest unelected prime minister. Nice sound that.
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Why blame the labour party for the closure of the post offices, when we know it is down to M Thatcher and the Conservatives, She stole all our national companys , like B.T. M.E.B. Brittish gas. and the post offices where are the shops of all those other companys, need we say more.
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If we all used our local post office, for everything from stamps to car tax and even banking the post office network would be safe but… we would be complaining that local banks were closing!
It’s down to consumer choice?!!!!
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when the post office is privatised it will gradually be bought by the french, they own our power companies, our dustbins are emptied by french companies. stephen i wonder who will replace this government, a bunch of spivs who caused the post office problems in the first place etc or the bunch of no hopers led by who??. . bring back charie kennedy i say. i dont agree with james about banking at post offices as one can already bank with barclays lloyds tsb, and alliance and leicester through the post office. if only backward banks like nat west,hsbc and the halifax would join in we could nearly all do our banking nearby. oh dear that might mean closure of bank branches. and geoff my hand is up. you cannot promise lowering taxes without closing schools,hospitals and er post offices, as i said a bunch of spivs!
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