Immediate Action is Needed to Save Our Post Office Network - Bruce

5.20.08pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 9th Mar 2005

Speaking in the Liberal Democrat conference debate on post office closures, Liberal Democrat Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary, Malcolm Bruce MP, will say:

"Government policy has destroyed the viability of our post office network. Urban branches have been closed in their thousands. More than half of the rural network of over 9000 offices is under threat. Once viable post office businesses are now un-sellable, and those run directly by the post office are suffering the biggest losses.

"The thousands of businessmen and women who run the post offices are effectively subsidising the network. Unless lost income is replaced quickly we will lose the national network that Liberal Democrats across the country are fighting to secure.

"We need a business plan to develop new services, and co-ordinate Government and other public and private information services through post offices."