More than just post offices

The parliamentary decision on post office closures was close but hardly surprising that it went the way of the Government despite a rebellion by quite a few Labour MPs.

So, that means 2500 fewer POs countrywide and, in turn, a substantial number of the closures are likely to be across Staffordshire. It is a difficult one… Post Office Ltd needs to be efficient and good value for money for the tax payer bearing in mind the £100million plus it is subsidised by.

But, what is being missed is the importance of the local post offices as far as social interaction is concerned. Elderly people and those without transport in rural areas see the ‘village’ post office as an important meeting place as well as somewhere to use services which without it would mean a long trip using ‘non existent’ public transport.

It’s all about knowing when the cost (within reason) is worth the status quo and in a large number of cases across the UK (and Staffordshire) that is probably not taken into account, instead being sacrificed to plug holes in areas of financial waste which themselves should be addressed.

When the local post office goes it is likely to mean the end of the local village shop either directly or indirectly and the £100million pounds it costs to subsidise local POs is a tiny amount of money in the bigger scheme of things nationally. Less than a day of the cost of the Iraq, Iran conflict for this country and, probably, a small amount compared to the ceremonial side of Parliament.

But, to a lot of people, the local post office and shop is important. The County Council could, itself, have followed the lead of Essex and one or two other UK counties by finding ways of making local, and particularly rural, post offices more sustainable by providing more public services through them. But it is principally a rural issue so the Labour Party at County aren’t really too bothered.

As well as being socially important I think local post offices are a tradition of rural communities in this country. We are pretty quick to get rid of those but a little slower to get rid of other things which most people aren’t bothered about but, for what ever reason, are gold plated and ring fenced.

Click here to comment on this post