4/1/2007
Letters
Lib Dems have a plan to save post officesRegarding ‘The battle to save our post offices’ in the News of December 22, it is interesting to see the local Conservatives’ apparent concern for post offices.
As Liberal Democrats, community services are at the heart of what we stand for and we have been running petitions and campaigns against post office closures for many years.
Beyond their warm words, the Conservatives have not put forward any policy as to how they would actually save the post office network. The Lib Dems on the other hand have a fully costed plan.
We would keep Post Office Ltd in the public sector but split it away from the Royal Mail.
We would raise £2billion from the sale of a minority of shares in Royal Mail and invest this money in the post office network.
We would free the Post Office from Royal Mail controls that prevent branches doing business for other parcel delivery companies. The investment would provide new equipment and services and enable Post Office branches to be the shop front for local government.
We would also ensure that staff working for Royal Mail would be given a quarter of the shares in the company, allowing them to share in the success of the company and to be partners in it, similar to the way staff are partners in the John Lewis Partnership.
The Conservatives’ warm words and lack of any substance will do nothing to keep open Post Office branches.
However, the Lib Dems have developed a strong set of practical policies that would boost this vital public service. We challenge the Conservatives to support it.
Cindy Ferguson
Surrey Heath borough councillor
for Mytchett and Deepcut
Camberley First printed in:
Aldershot News and Mail
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