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The area is losing its Post Offices. We have one in Montgomery but there is no longer one in Castle Caereinion or Abermule or Marton.
Welshpool will shortly become bankless. Barclays are shutting, not just Welshpool and Newtown, but also Bridgnorth and Cleobury branches.
Where are we going with this?
This has been highlighted by Philip Dunne MP for the Ludlow constituency, which adjoins Montgomeryshire.
Our representatives must talk up the importance of Post Offices, and their services provided, as banks close.
One fifth of Powys adults have no car; population is static, so no hope of growing numbers generating additional revenue for the sub post offices.
Small business and other customers are being marginalised.
Where do they deposit or draw cash?
OTHER NEWS:
Royal Mail is a public company. This is entirely separate from the Post Office, which is run – and not very well – by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Skills and Department of Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The minister responsible is now Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Their governance record is unimpressive, following scandal over a faulty Fujitsu computer system, which overwhelmed the Post Office, and has seen over 2,000 sub-postmasters take legal action, following many large alleged losses.
It took years for the Post Office to admit liability, meanwhile ruining many sub-postmasters.
Many Post Offices are subsidised by the village shops in which they are a part.
Brent Jay of Kerry, (County Times, August 12) and another, a subpostmistress, have said the pitiful commission the Post Office pay is the problem.
The postmasters don’t receive a salary and two people independently confirmed that they earn about £5 an hour, just over half of the National Minimum Wage, from the commission that they receive from stamps, processing parcels, providing cash, paying pensions, road tax, fishing licences etc.
Subpostmasters’ skills need recognition, by an immediate, large increase in commission.
Otherwise, Post Offices will close and village shops decide not to undertake the poorly paid responsibility. Coupled with bank closures, the trend is ominous.
There are just over 11,000 Post Offices, half of them rural.
A £2,000 annual increase per Post Office, would cost no more than £1billion across the rural network.
Surely a quick vote winner, for this shambolic government? Action now, please Mr. Rees-Mogg.
For the record the Houses of Parliament have their own post office. That’s all right, then!
Bruce Lawson
Montgomery
