Post office services under threat - Liz Lynne

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 30th Apr 2006

Liz Lynne visiting Kidsgrove post office

Liz Lynne, Lib Dem MEP for the West Midlands, visited Kidsgrove on Monday to campaign against cuts in Post Office services.

Liz Lynne visited Kidsgrove Post Office, where she met John Morris, Midland Region Executive Officer of the National Federation of Sub Postmasters, as well as local residents and councillors concerned about the cuts in services.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that it was withdrawing the Post Office Card Account. More than 100,000 people in north Staffordshire and south Cheshire - and 4.3 million people across Britain - use the Post Office Card Account to access their benefits and pensions. Post offices will also stop selling and renewing TV licences this summer, even though nationally 5 million TV viewers get their licence from their local post office.

Speaking after the visit, Liz Lynne said:

"The decision to end the post office card account and stop selling TV licences is a double-whammy, both for post offices and their customers."

"Fortunately Kidsgrove Post Office is not under threat, but many in the region are. Ten years ago, there were 240 post offices in the north Staffordshire and south Cheshire region. Now there are just 150."

"With our proposals for a shared ownership scheme for the Royal Mail that would provide branches with £2 billion of investment for new technology and diversification, only the Liberal Democrats can save Post Offices from their imminent extinction."

Cllr Mary Maxfield, a local councillor who arranged Monday's meeting, added:

"I am delighted that Liz could come today and meet a representative from the National Federation of Sub Postmasters to hear first-hand the problems local post offices are facing. Kidsgrove residents, particularly pensioners, use the post office both to receive benefits and pay for their TV licence, and these cuts in services will hit them hard."

ENDS