MP welcomes further £640 million to modernise and protect Post Offices

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Lynne with local Councillors Rachel Allison and Bob Hare at Highgate Post OfficeLynne Featherstone MP has welcomed the £640 million in additional funding to modernise and protect Post Offices, announced today by Liberal Democrat Post Office Minister Jo Swinson.

This is on top of the no involuntary closure programme and £1.34 billion already pledged by the Coalition Government to ensure the Post Office network maintains its 11,500 branches, while bringing huge benefits to customers.

The extra funding will speed up and complete the modernisation of the Post Office Network and for the first time ever funding will also be made available to maintain smaller Post Offices, who play a vital role in the community but who may not be suitable for the modernisation programme.

Five post offices were lost in Hornsey and Wood Green under the previous Labour Government. Nationally, 7,100 Post Offices disappeared in Labour’s 13 years in office.

Lynne Featherstone MP commented:

“Post Offices are a vital part of our communities here in Hornsey and Wood Green, and across the UK. We lost 5 Offices under the Labour Government’s ruthless and shameful closure programme.

“Instead of spending money on closing Post Offices like Labour did with their closure programme, Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are investing to maintain and modernise our Post Offices for the future.

“I welcome the extra funding and look forward to seeing further improvements to my local Post Offices.”

1 thought on “MP welcomes further £640 million to modernise and protect Post Offices”

  1. HANG ON A MINUTE, HAVEN’T WE JUST PRIVATISED THE ROYAL MAIL? Why are we pouring money into an operation that was deemed merchantable to the private sector
    Seriously what has this wretched Government sold off? This cock-up seems to emanate from none other than Mr Vince Cable, who has not only not only undersold Royal Mail, but as with the railways, the Operators have been ‘Franchised’ to second-rate operators like First (Wirst) Group but we are still pouring in subsidy to improve stations and overhaul trains, etc, to support loss making services, many of which make a loss because they are badly specified by the DfT. Why are taxpayers subsidising Post Offices, which will be giving dividends to shareholders. It is a nonsense.
    PLEASE ADVISE:
    A:- What parts of the Royal Mail have been sold to the private sector, and what are the purported benefits therefrom.
    B:- What has been retained in the public sector, and what is status of the Post Office Counters part of Royal Mail?
    This seems an even messier privatisation than the railways.

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