Elm Row Post Office saved

Welcome news from Post Office today that the Elm Row post office has been saved. From the petitions and letters I had received, this was the proposed closure which drew the biggest opposition, and there were some particularly strong arguments put forward to keep this one open. I'm glad the campaign which I led, with a lot of community support, to keep this open was successful.

Unlike some politicians who have taken what I think is the opportunist view that no post office anywhere should ever close, I have recognised the changing business patterns which have led to the post office doubling its losses, and that is why I have campaigned for the £1.7 billion subsidy which will keep an extra 8500 local post offices open, on top of the 4000 which are commercially viable.

But where there was a good case to keep a local post office open, MPs should make that case and represent their constituents - that's what I did in this case, and I am glad we were successful. I hope that everyone who backed the campaign will now give more business to Elm Row Post Office, to ensure its long term viability.