Vince Cable

This week the Post Office formally announces many branch closures. There will be three in my constituency - Broad Street, Teddington; Staines Road, Twickenham; Cambridge Park. Following six earlier closures in the last five years we shall have lost half the network over that period. Compared with some areas, however, we have escaped quite lightly.

The post office was once the hub of local shopping centres and an important community facility for elderly people who cashed their weekly pension there. It has gradually lost custom as pensions and benefits have been paid into bank accounts. Despite promises from the government, a new role has not been found for the network. Even government business has gradually been taken away. The Post Office Card Account has not been enthusiastically promoted.

Nonetheless, this being a fairly prosperous area, post office branches make money. The three closures locally are only happening because of generous redundancy packages to persuade the postmasters and mistresses to retire. It defies commonsense that branches are being closed over the objections of the people who run them because of some national quota. Unfortunately the family businesses that run individual branches are, ultimately, under the control of a loss making operation and owned by the government.

There is a consultation process on closures until April 7. Both I and the council can make representations to save particular branch offices. Where there is particular need or strong local feeling we shall fight to stop closures - though, from past experience, the Post Office is not good at responding to community concerns.

This is another blow to local shopping centres already hit be high rents and rates and competition from big supermarkets: and it will cause great inconvenience to elderly people, mothers with young children and others with limited mobility.