The future of the Post Office network
For many decades, I have had a deep interest in the future of the Post Office network. For 24 years, I worked for trade unions with members employed by what is now called Post Office Limited (POL) and for six years I sat on the Boards of the consumer bodies on postal matters (Postwatch and Consumer Focus). I still chair the Post Offices Advisory Group at what is now called Consumer Futures.
So I was interested, and not a little troubled, by a recent publication from the Fabian Society whose content is summarised as follows.
“The future of the Post Office has not been part of the discussion about Royal Mail privatisation. But with a third of Post Office income dependent on Royal Mail, the fate of both organisations is intimately linked
• This report models nine scenarios for the future of the Post Office network. In only one of the nine scenarios does the network have any- thing resembling a secure future
• Furthermore, this scenario is based on a number of uncertain factors including the Post Office achieving rapid growth in the level of income received from financial services and winning significant new business for providing government services. A strong, successful relationship between the Post Office and Royal Mail is also key to this scenario
• In such a climate of uncertainty, the government has been reckless to relinquish a controlling stake in Royal Mail
• We therefore recommend that the government retains the maximum amount of shares in Royal Mail. This would provide future governments an opportunity to buy back enough shares to regain a controlling stake
• The privatisation of Royal Mail now makes a consideration of the long-term future of both the Post Office network and Royal Mail an urgent priority
• The government should therefore prioritise plans to use the Post Office to provide a greater number of services. Responsibility for overseeing this process could be given to the Cabinet Office to ensure greater buy-in across Whitehall “
You can read the full text here.