Liberal Democrats Support the Post office Network

1.00.00am GMT Fri 27th Mar 2009

“ Lorely Burt MP, Shadow Spokeswoman for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Professor Bill Winlow mourning the sad demise of our Post Office network”

Professor Bill Winlow, Fylde's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate attended the party's Spring Conference in Harrogate where we reaffirmed our policy on Post Offices. We recognise the need for reform of Royal Mail and the Post Office. That's why, three years ago, we developed a comprehensive policy to secure the future of both organisations (motion passed at spring conference 2006) by:

· Separating the Post Office network from Royal Mail as an independent publicly owned organisation, with its own board of directors, an investment plan for the future, and significant investment to undertake those plans

· Selling 49% of shares in Royal Mail, to raise money which can be invested in supporting and developing the post office network, and then splitting the remaining 51% equally between a Trust for Royal Mail staff (on the John Lewis model) and the Government

· Ensuring that Royal Mail staff have a full opportunity to participate in the running of the company as part owners and through a staff council

· A statutory guarantee to protect the Universal Service Obligation (giving the regulator the power to place a levy on other operators who do not undertake the USO, to pay towards its cost)

· Freeing Royal Mail from Treasury borrowing controls, so it can invest

· Freeing Post Offices from the restrictions imposed by their tied contracts with Royal Mail

· Enabling Post Offices to develop new business, through the "postbank" concept, as mini parcel depots for Royal Mail & private firms, and as a 'one stop shop' for public services