Jo Swinson - Post Office Campaigner

************* LATEST NEWS: EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE SPARED ***************

• East Dunbartonshire escapes as axe falls on West of Scotland Post Offices

Jo Swinson has been campaigning both around East Dunbartonshire and in Parliament to support local Post Offices.

The Post Office network has suffered systematic neglect at the hands of our Labour Government and the Conservative Governments that preceded it. It has reached the point of needing major investment and reinvigoration if the closure of many thousands of Post Offices that is expected in the years to come is to be avoided.

The Government's refusal to commit to the future of Post Office Card Accounts is symbolic of its neglectful attitude to the whole Post Office network. The cards are used by 4.5 million people, and have proven far more successful than originally expected, however the Department for Work and Pensions is phasing out card accounts by 2010, forcing people to change how they receive pensions and benefits.

Other Government departments are also withdrawing services from the Post Office. The DVLA has been encouraging people to renew tax discs online rather than at the Post Office. The TV licensing authorities will no longer use Post Offices for TV licences. Combined with card accounts, this amounts to a cross-departmental assault on Post Office services.

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Jo Swinson is continuing to fight for local Post Office services. She has held a series of meetings with sub-Postmasters across the constituency, to ask key questions and build up a picture of the real issues affecting Post Offices in East Dunbartonshire.

The government has no plan to save the Post Office network. It only has a plan to manage its decline. 3,500 Post Offices closed under the Tories and 4,000 have already closed under Labour.

Only the Liberal Democrats have a fully-funded plan to save the Post Office. Our plan would give a real investment of £2 billion in the Post Office, increase the services offered at local Post Office branches and enhance the network as a whole. We are the only party with a fully-funded plan to save the Post Office, give it a long-term future and not just manage its decline. Our plan would see:

• £2 billion invested in Post Office branches

• New branches opening where needed

• Government services continuing to be available at the Post Office

• The Post Office freed from Royal Mail restrictions to let it develop new business

• A new legal requirement for the Government to maintain the local Post Office network

The Post Office has published details about local Post Office closure plans for parts of England as the first wave of closures come into effect. Details include a booklet about the local area plan, a map with proposed closures marked and branch access reports. Click on the link to access the Post Office's page.

• East Dunbartonshire escapes as axe falls on West of Scotland Post Offices

• Post Office closures information web page

• Future of the Post Office Network - Consultation Response

• Download Jo's Post Office Reports Here

News

• 26/07/07 - Post Office ignoring local concerns over post office move

• 25/06/07 - Bishopbriggs Post Office celebrates 2nd Birthday

• 17/05/07 - Government Announcement no comfort to Kirkintilloch Post Office users

• 25/05/07 - Government must come clean on Post Offices hit list

• 19/05/07 - Jo seeks Post Office assurances over Kirkintilloch move

• 06/03/07 - Government should learn from Bishopbriggs Post Office example

• 10/01/07 - Swinson dismay at Governement failure to back Royal Mail

• 14/12/06 - Post Office Accounts saved but 2,500 Post Offices face closure

• 07/12/06 - Liberal Democrat MPs meet with Minister to seek clarity on Post Offices

• 04/12/06 - Jo praises Bearsden and Milngavie Christmas Post Operation

• 16/10/06 - Fears for Post Office services hit by losses of Card Account footfall

• 13/10/06 - Government must rethink abolition of Post Office Card Account

• 23/05/06 - Urgent need to stop Post Office decline - Jo

• 19/04/06 - Jo supports sub-postmasters' campaign to save Post Office Card Account

• 14/02/06 - Post Offices will be hit hard by end of Card Accounts - Jo

• 29/10/04 - 2300 people in Bishopbriggs sign petition to say "Save Our Post Office"

• 02/09/04 - Jo continues campaign to Save Local Post Offices

• 22/07/04 - Jo takes Save Bishopbriggs Post Office campaign to Morrisons HQ

• 04/07/04 - "Post Office more important than shelf space for yoghurts" says Jo Swinson

• 08/06/04 - Jo Swinson slams Killermont and Westerton Post Office closure decision

• 21/05/04 - Elspeth Attwooll MEP visits threatened Westerton Post Office

• 17/05/04 - Reports on saving Bearsden Post Offices sent as consultation ends

• 14/05/04 - Jo Swinson presents case for saving Auchinairn Post Office

• 05/05/04 - Post Office closure proposals condemned by Jo Swinson

• 19/04/06 - Jo supports sub-postmasters' campaign to save Post Office Card Account

• 04/04/06 - Jo leads new drive to protect local Post Offices

2 Most Recent Stories From Jo Swinson News Stories

Wed 25th Apr 2007:

Government must come clean on Post Office hit-list

Jo Swinson has accused the Government of trying to hide the impact of its Post Office closure programme on local communities ahead of the May Scottish and Local elections.

Tue 9th Jan 2007:

Swinson dismay at Government failure to back Royal Mail

Jo Swinson has expressed her dismay at the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions to axe their £12million postage contract with Royal Mail.

Earlier Stories

Complete archive on the official site

Jo Swinson News Stories, provided by Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/.

(c) 2008 Jo Swinson