Keep our Post Office Open

In October last year, 2,000 sub-postmasters marched on parliament protesting at Post Office closures and presented a 4 million signature petition to Tony Blair; the largest ever UK petition.

And Labour still isn't listening. Post offices are the lifeblood of any community. They are vital local institutions, just like a local school or pub.

Post Offices are essential for people who rely on them to collect benefits and pensions. Local business rely on Post Offices, neighbouring small businesses often suffer a drop in trade.

When a local Post Office closes, often the last shop in the community closes too. A van for a couple of hours a week is no replacement for a full time Post Office. Labour's Post Office cuts will hit the vulnerable the hardest.

First Labour cut the NHS. Now they're cutting the Post Office.

• 4,000 Post Offices have already closed under Labour – that's a quarter of the country's Post Office network.
• A Further 2,500 Post Offices are expected to close by 2009.
• Gordon Brown my cut support for rural post offices.
• As few as 4,000 of Britain's 14,300 Post Offices may survive the decade.

This all means fewer Post Offices, providing fewer services to fewer people.

The Conservative action plan to save our Post Offices

• Give sub-Post Offices more freedom to offer a wider range of business services.
• Push for more Post Offices to be "One Stop Shops" – trained staff could then advise on a range of matters including tax returns, pension entitlements, the opening hours of local pharmacies, how to apply for a disabled parking badge etc.
• Encourage local Councils to open "Council Counters" in local branches.
• Allow the Post Office to work with carriers other than the Royal Mail.
• Prevent the Royal Mail taking business away from sub-Post Offices by under cutting the prices they can charge for postage.