South Edinburgh Lib Dems throw down challenge on Post Office

10.00.00am GMT Wed 12th Nov 2008

Battle has been renewed in Edinburgh South between Liberal Democrats and Labour after local Liberal Democrat campaigners demanded to know why Labour rejected calls to back Post Office services that help keep branches in business. Edinburgh South is still reeling from the decision to close Warrender Park Road Post Office on 20 November despite thousands of objections from the local community

In the House of Commons on Monday 10th November Edinburgh South's Labour MPs reject out a call for the Government to carry out more services through Post Offices.

The Labour Government is in the final process of deciding whether or not to take the handling of pensions and benefits away from Post Offices and give it to a private company. If the Government goes ahead with this switch, it is feared that the loss of business to Post Offices will result in up to 6,000 branches closing.

Local Liberal Democrat Campaigners Fred Mackintosh and Mike Pringle MSP are calling on Nigel Griffiths MP to explain why Labour MPs threw out calls for more government business to be done through Post Offices.

"Post Offices are vital to communities across South Edinburgh," said South Edinburgh Lib Dem Spokesperson Fred Mackintosh. "Labour have a mean-spirited approach to the Post Office network and have gradually stripped branches of much of their business over recent years.

"When the closure of Warrender Park Road Post Office was announced my opponent claimed that post offices are closing due to this loss of business. Now ministers are putting pressure on pensioners and benefit claimants to have their pensions and benefits paid into bank accounts.

"All this is undermining the Post Office. The call made by Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons was an attempt to stop the damage Labour have done to the network and reverse the decline. South Edinburgh needs its Post Offices but we also need a Government that takes into account the needs of local people. We have the first of these now, but not the second."

Liberal Democrats have called for the Post Office to be allowed to continue to pay out pensions and benefits through the Post Office Card Account. They have also called for £2 billion of investment in branches, paid for by selling part of the Government's shareholding in Royal Mail, but keeping the Post Office in the public sector.

They also want more Government departments to use Post Offices to provide services, to free branches from restrictions on doing business with other parcel delivery companies and to broaden the range of commercial services available across the counter.

Related Link:

For full details of the vote in the House of Commons click here.