Steve Brine condemns closure plan as 'community vandalism'
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Winchester, Steve Brine, has welcomed a Government decision to save the Post Office Card Account but slammed its decision to go ahead with 2,500 closures as 'community vandalism'.
He said the cuts, which will start next Summer, could mean a further six closures in the Winchester area. Although it is not yet known where exactly the axe will fall, he is promising to fight every threat wherever and whenever it comes.
Steve said; “These closures will bring fear and anxiety to people, often the most vulnerable. It will destroy many good businesses, simply because the Government does not have a long-term vision for the future of the Post Office network.
"The Government needs to recognise that if the local Post Office closes, often the last shop in the village closes as well, and a van for a couple of hours a week is no replacement for a Post Office open full time. For some people, especially the elderly, the local Post Office is part of their support mechanism - to cut that away is a form of community vandalism.
“The decision on the Post Office Card Account is welcome. Indeed it is what I have been calling for since the Government announced its intention to scrap it. It is important that the new POCA scheme is genuinely available to existing customers and that the application process is not made un-necessarily complex. It is also vital that we give sub-postmasters greater freedom to develop their business as they see best for their local communities."
Steve Brine is pictured above with Harry Dosanj, subpostmaster at Sutton Scotney Post Office and Stores.