Leech and Grant launch Post Office Card Campaign

6.37.23pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Feb 2006

Manchester Withington Liberal Democrat MP John Leech and Whalley Range Councillor John Grant have joined forces to launch a campaign against proposals to phase out Post Office Card Accounts.

John Leech has sponsored Early Day Motion (EDM) 1513 and supported EDM 1427, both reproduced below, which highlights the detrimental effects the proposed non-renewal of the contract will have on the 5 million customers with local Post Offices Card Accounts across the country.

John Leech MP said today:

"About 5 million people use these card accounts, which were set up to allow those on benefits to access their money at local Post Offices. On average, that's about 350 customers per week per Post Office. This generates some £100m per year for Post Offices nationally. This is money they need to survive. If the Labour Government do not reverse their decision, it will be another body blow to Post Offices in South Manchester, and make more Post Office closures more likely."

Whalley Range Liberal Democrat Councillor John Grant added:

"In Manchester, dozens of Post Offices have closed since Labour came to power, including twenty in just the last three years. The Lib Dems have long argued that Post Offices should be able to offer additional services, but this is another example of the Labour Government cutting off the life blood of this essential service. I worry for the survival of Post Offices in Manchester if these proposals go ahead."

Ends....

Early Day Motion 1513 states:

That this House notes that Post Office Card Accounts generate millions of pounds of income for post offices every month; further notes that some post offices in Greater Manchester will struggle to survive without this income if the Government fails to renew the contract; further notes many vulnerable people will be forced to travel to town centres to access money if local post offices close; and is concerned that this will have a detrimental impact not only on the post office network in Greater Manchester, but also on the viability of other local shops which rely on passing trade generated by people collecting benefits and pensions from their local post office.

Early Day Motion 1427 states:

That this House notes that more than four million people have chosen to collect their pensions and benefits from Post Office Card Accounts and that the Account is estimated to generate more than one billion pounds income for post offices between 2003 and 2012, without which many post offices will not survive; and calls on the Government to keep the Post Office Card Account after the present contract expires in 2010 so that people will still have the option of using Post Office Card Accounts at their local post office.