Gill Furniss MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Steel, Postal Affairs, and Consumer Protection, responding to the Government’s 2016 Post Office Network Consultation, said:

“It is clear that with thousands of job losses and branches being closed down that there is an urgent need to review the plan for the Post Office.

“The Government separated it from Royal Mail to pave the way for privatisation, while cutting public funding for the network, without any strategy for growing its revenues. ‎The cuts we are seeing this year are the direct result of these actions.

“What’s worrying about the consultation is that the Government’s pledge to make the Post Office a "genuine Front Office for Government” or expand its financial services appear to have been dropped. The Government has to come clean on whether it is still committed to this.”