In the current debate over Post Office closures I believe the Conservative Party should be demanding a vision for expansion of the role of the Royal Mail or Post Office network. Any organisation whose performance and public reputation declines as the Post Office Group's has done over recent years will ultimately fail. Future strategy must focus on growth and innovation rather than simple retrenchment by management to cut costs.
This will require skilful managerial and political leadership over the years ahead. What is needed is a clear sense of mission for the organisation that identifies how the trusty, traditional Post Office brand will be refreshed.
A modern Post Office needs to be in tune with contemporary changes in technology and communication but also must play its part in civic society. If our business and political leaders simply hand over the reins to the needs of private company discipline then we risk throwing the network to the wolves.
All MPs have unsurprisingly had their constituents railing at them about the local closures - most people feel that it is appalling that a public service such as the Post Office, funded by the taxpayer, should be treated like a private business. For rural Conservative MPs the closure of the local Post Office has been marvellous ammunition with which to berate the beleaguered government. But what is our Party going to do about it when we get into power within the next two years?
The closure programme is being handled desperately badly. Sub-postmasters are often staying silent because of the threat of losing compensation deals. Yet their skills once lost may well not be recoverable. Certainly any growth in operations and personnel would require large investments in training and infrastructure.
In every corner of the nation, village pubs have been closed and never been resurrected. Will the same now happen to our Post Offices? My constituents here in central London are invariably upset at local Post Office closures just as their rural cousins. And for good reason. I have always made it clear that Westminster is a series of villages and many residents regard themselves as part of a local community with a Post Office being an integral part of their life. They may not have to travel substantial mileage to use a new Post Office but it is out of their 'local' area.
No one denies that the loss of a Post Office has some detrimental effect on the quality of life of a community as well as for businesses in nearby locations. It leads to increased car usage and reduces part of that vital, often intangible community 'glue'. The positive side of the closure is entirely to do with the overall finances of an unimaginative Post Office operation so why is not more being done to address the problem of these finances rather than simply close countless thousands of Post Offices around the country?
The Royal Mail Group is perceived by most people as underperforming in every sector. Not only are Post Offices being closed but deliveries by Royal Mail are becoming less reliable and frequent and even Parcelforce is losing market share. In my own constituency, new (and inferior) delivery schedules are playing havoc with small businesses, particularly in Smithfield Market where tenants relied heavily on previous early delivery times. The old schedule, a specific local arrangement which served tenants so well, must apparently be scrapped to meet new legislation and improve efficiency. Making an organisation leaner and fitter is one thing but this underperformance has a strong bearing on the social capital in all our communities across the country. This can only be a matter of regret.
We need to enthuse the nation with our vision for this historic and vital part of our social fabric and then deliver that vision when we get into power.
