Labour Close Twickenham Post Offices

Written by Vincent Cable MP and published in Richmond Informer on Thu 29th Apr 2004

The drastic programme of cuts in the post office network has at last reached our borough. In addition to the two closures already in train in Twickenham and Teddington another 5 are scheduled on the Twickenham side out of 18 post offices: two in Hampton (Nurserylands and Priory Road), one in Whitton (Nelson Road), Twickenham (Hampton Road) and Hampton Wick (Kingston Road). No doubt Richmond will have a similar cull.

For many, less mobile, people who depend on the local post office for cash payments of pensions and benefits, and who cannot get or do not want a bank account, the closures will be a bitter blow. The damage would be especially serious in Hampton.

The post office network is losing money. Individual post offices are losing customers to the banks as the government presses ahead with its plans to pay benefits and pensions into bank accounts. The government has soft-pedalled the alternative Post Office Card Account and the doziness of Post Office management over many years has meant that alternative sources of income - like bill payment (as in Australia) or sales of private pensions and insurance - have not progressed. In numerous debates and questions in parliament in the last few years I have made the case for the strengthening Post Office network but the closure programmes goes on.

I am currently seeking local reaction. I am sure residents will want to fight some of the closures. Since the Post Office is a commercial organisation, albeit state owned, it is free to make these closures though a consumer watchdog (Postwatch) provides some, limited protection. The effect on our local communities could be serious and I believe we should put up a fight.