Rogerson meets Sub-Postmater on day of Post Office protests
North Cornwall MP Dan Rogerson, this week met Crackington Haven-based sub-postmaster, Steve Blatt, at the House of Commons.
Mr Blatt was in London to protest against the Government's sustained programme of Post Office closures in rural communities.
The group of sub-postmasters presented a petition of some four million signatures to the Government, calling for the some 6,000 Post Offices presently under threat to be saved.
Commenting after the meeting, Mr Rogerson said:
"I was delighted to meet Mr Blatt again today, though I wish it could have been in happier circumstances.
"Our sub-postmasters deserve hearty congratulation that they have got so many signatures for their petition: it demonstrates the real strength of feeling people have about the special place Post Offices have in their communities.
"The Government says it cannot subsidise Post Offices which attract too few customers, yet – for all the ministerial hand-wringing – it is they who are taking business away from the Post Office network.
"Liberal Democrats have put forward positive plans to for a shared ownership scheme for the Royal Mail, which would provide £2bn to help Post Office branches broaden their business and invest in new technology.
"The sub-postmasters aren't asking for special favours but they do need a new range of business if they are to survive. Why do Ministers insist on going in the opposite direction?"
Note to Editors:
New figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats show that more than 43,000 people in Cornwall (over 9,000 in North Cornwall alone) use the Post Office Card Account to receive their pensions or benefits. The Government plans to scrap the card but the five-strong team of Cornish Liberal Democrat MPs is calling for Ministers to rethink their decision.
