Labour MPs urged to help undo damage on Post Offices

6.20.09pm GMT Mon 4th Jan 2010

Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council have urged local Labour MPs to demand that the Government makes re-opening two Sheffield Post Offices easier.

Lib Dem led Sheffield City Council have plans to reopen two of the 15 Post Offices that were shut by the Post Office closure programme last year. However the Lib Dems plan to reopen Post Offices at Nether Green and Norfolk Park has been hit by Post Office Ltd, supported by the Government, refusing to allow a level playing field.

Each Post Office receives an annual 'core payment' from Post Office Ltd. However, the Council has been notified that reopened Post Offices would not receive this payment. Also reopened Post Offices will have to pay Post Office Limited an annual charge for operating the service as well as incurring additional costs such as a bank guarantee. This makes the business less financially viable and therefore harder to find people willing to come forward to take on the businesses.

Lib Dem Council Leader Cllr Paul Scriven has written to all local Labour MPs asking them to demand that a core payment is available for anyone stepping in to take on these new Post Office businesses and that any additional charges are dropped.

Paul said "It's clear that this Government are making it as hard as possible to re-open the Post Offices it previously shut. Despite this we have made some progress. But one of the major issues remains attracting someone to run the Post Offices themselves.

"If the Government allowed a level playing field it would make the re-opened Post Offices much more attractive as a business. I hope that they change the rules so that we can get on with ensuring that Nether Green and Norfolk Park see the return of local Post Office services soon."

Sheffield Labour MPs Richard Caborn, Clive Betts, Meg Munn and Angela Smith voted for the closure programme in Parliament which saw 15 Post Offices close in Sheffield. The other Labour MP David Blunkett didn't vote. The only local MP to vote against the closures was Lib Dem Nick Clegg.

Paul added "Local Labour MPs have already let local people down on Post Offices by voting for the closures in the first place. I hope that now the Post Offices are shut they can see the error of their ways. But the best thing Labour MPs can do now is demand that their Government makes it easier for us to undo some of the damage they have done."