Post offices: stealth sell-off

The government this week announced plans to turn post offices into mutually owned co-operatives.

Lib Dem postal minister Ed Davey hopes the move will abate public anger over office closures and proposals to sell off Royal Mail.

Around a third of post offices have shut over the last decade.Far from putting post office workers and communities in charge, the move to a cooperative will allow the government to wash their hands of future closures.

CWU leader Billy Hayes says the plan will force a further 2,000 branches to be lost by “downgrading” their services and turning them into “locals”.