Island post offices in Scotland to shut
Sixteen island post offices in Scotland are to close in the latest round of cuts to the service, it was announced today.
The closures are part of a UK-wide cutback and will affect 10 sites in the Western Isles and six in the Northern Isles, Post Office Limited said.
But the group stressed 113 branches would remain open across both sets of islands, providing a service that falls within national guidelines for accessibility.
Closures are scheduled to begin in July and are expected to finish by the end of the month.
The future of three branches on the Western Isles is still under review and will be announced in the near future, the company added.
It is the third round of cuts to be announced in Scotland. It was earlier announced that 44 post offices in central Scotland and 17 in the Highlands face the axe.
The latest decision comes after a six-week public consultation, during which the company attended public meetings and received petitions and letters from the public.
Sally Buchanan, Post Office Ltd's network development manager for Scotland, said: "These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly. We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation.
"We believe that the plan announced today best addresses the need for change with the current UK Government's requirements and Post Office Ltd's technological and operation and financial constraints."
It was revealed last month that some branches earmarked for closure in the Glasgow area could be given a reprieve.
Glasgow City Council announced a feasibility study to be carried out into options for saving some of the 21 post offices under threat.
Angus MacNeil, SNP MP for the Western Isles, said he was "disappointed" by the 10 closures in the region.
But he welcomed the decision that the future of three others, in Skigersta, Bragar and Northton, would be kept under review.
Mr MacNeil said: "I have been in constant contact with the Post Office since the beginning of this consultation process, and I would hope that common sense will prevail and that these three post offices are now left to remain open."
And he added: "On the wider political issue, it's the cuts to the post office network, the 10p income tax rate and the high fuel tax which are leaving this Labour Government at their lowest rating ever in the opinion polls."
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Posted by: JBlackley, Florida on 1:32pm Fri 9 May 08
Would this be in conjunction with plans to abolish doorstep delivery and the end of Britain's "unique" six-day delivery of letter mail (only "unique" because it's longer than most other civilised countries')?
In another newspaper, it is being reported that Postwatch Scotland thinks one price to deliver a letter anywhere in Britain may also have to go. Really. In the United States you can have a letter delivered anywhere in this vast country - within 3 - 4 days - for less than 50 cents. Somehow or another it's not possible to get a letter from Bognor to Blantyre in the same time for the same money.
Amateur night.
Would this be in conjunction with plans to abolish doorstep delivery and the end of Britain's "unique" six-day delivery of letter mail (only "unique" because it's longer than most other civilised countries')?
In another newspaper, it is being reported that Postwatch Scotland thinks one price to deliver a letter anywhere in Britain may also have to go. Really. In the United States you can have a letter delivered anywhere in this vast country - within 3 - 4 days - for less than 50 cents. Somehow or another it's not possible to get a letter from Bognor to Blantyre in the same time for the same money.
Amateur night.
Posted by: FIFER, Anstruther,Fife on 3:14pm Fri 9 May 08
I have heard that Saturday deliveries are to cease. I wqrk in RM.
Doorstep delivery- the likes of TNT, DHL etc use or misuse the RM to deliver their mail. RM recently got back Amazon from TNT and one colleague remarked we have been delivering their stuff anyway. Next time look at your postmarks and see if it is one of the so called efficient rivals. So efficient that DHL stopped doorstep deliveries of letters as it was losing money. They palm the stuff onto RM.
If they are so efficient why has Holland (TNT) or Germany (DHL) not opened their ,markets
I have heard that Saturday deliveries are to cease. I wqrk in RM.
Doorstep delivery- the likes of TNT, DHL etc use or misuse the RM to deliver their mail. RM recently got back Amazon from TNT and one colleague remarked we have been delivering their stuff anyway. Next time look at your postmarks and see if it is one of the so called efficient rivals. So efficient that DHL stopped doorstep deliveries of letters as it was losing money. They palm the stuff onto RM.
If they are so efficient why has Holland (TNT) or Germany (DHL) not opened their ,markets
Posted by: Corrupt EU, Fife on 3:34pm Fri 9 May 08
EU is to blame for Royal Mail decline
Tuesday, 06 May 2008
A review commissioned by the government on the UK postal service sector shows that EU policy is real reason for the decline in Royal Mail and lies behind the closure of thousands of post offices.
[italic]http://www.ukip.org/
ukip/index.php?optio
n=com_content&task=v
iew&id=624&Itemid=57[/italic]
EU is to blame for Royal Mail decline
Tuesday, 06 May 2008
A review commissioned by the government on the UK postal service sector shows that EU policy is real reason for the decline in Royal Mail and lies behind the closure of thousands of post offices.
http://www.ukip.org/
ukip/index.php?optio
n=com_content&task=v
iew&id=624&Itemid=57 Posted by: Meep, Shawlands on 4:30pm Fri 9 May 08
Looks like it goping to be a Labour free zone in Scotland soon. Anyway if we want to stop these cuts to the postal service and other national utilities then we need to put pressure on the UK government to opt out of the GAT 2000 trade agreement which caused all this problem in he first place. The GAT 2000 trade agreement forces governments to open up their civil service and utilites to private bids. This is why something has important has Qinetiq UK the defence research company eneded up in the hands of private owners. Ludicrous. If we want Royal Mail to remain a universal service then the UK governmebnt needs to withdraw from the GAT 2000 trade agreements. Simple.
Looks like it goping to be a Labour free zone in Scotland soon. Anyway if we want to stop these cuts to the postal service and other national utilities then we need to put pressure on the UK government to opt out of the GAT 2000 trade agreement which caused all this problem in he first place. The GAT 2000 trade agreement forces governments to open up their civil service and utilites to private bids. This is why something has important has Qinetiq UK the defence research company eneded up in the hands of private owners. Ludicrous. If we want Royal Mail to remain a universal service then the UK governmebnt needs to withdraw from the GAT 2000 trade agreements. Simple.
Posted by: puskas, East Kilbride on 5:44pm Fri 9 May 08
Will Scotland print their own stamps when becoming independent...
Any ideas on what we will call our postal service..
Will Scotland print their own stamps when becoming independent...
Any ideas on what we will call our postal service..
Posted by: Corrupt EU, Fife on 5:51pm Fri 9 May 08
Hey, gold's on the up again. I love the stuff.
http://www.bullionva
ult.com/gold_prices.
do?considerationCurr
ency=GBP
Hey, gold's on the up again. I love the stuff.
http://www.bullionva
ult.com/gold_prices.
do?considerationCurr
ency=GBP
Posted by: Im no really here, but over there on 6:18pm Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]Corrupt EU[/bold] wrote:
Hey, gold's on the up again. I love the stuff. http://www.bullionva ult.com/gold_prices. do?considerationCurr ency=GBP[/quote] Oil's doing even better. It was revealed that Westminster is set to gain over 22bn in taxes on oil, Oil past $125, what is it now. What's Brown doing with all the extra cash? Waiting to give it as handouts at the election no doubt.
Corrupt EU wrote:
Hey, gold's on the up again. I love the stuff. http://www.bullionva ult.com/gold_prices. do?considerationCurr ency=GBP
Oil's doing even better. It was revealed that Westminster is set to gain over 22bn in taxes on oil, Oil past $125, what is it now. What's Brown doing with all the extra cash? Waiting to give it as handouts at the election no doubt.
Posted by: joe90, Wishaw on 9:02pm Fri 9 May 08
No money for local Post Offices,
but there are tens of billions of taxpayers' money available for free-market bankers when they need it!
No money for local Post Offices,
but there are tens of billions of taxpayers' money available for free-market bankers when they need it!
Posted by: Thyme Kelpie on 9:45pm Fri 9 May 08
Aye Joe and there are billions of £s rolling in off the oil taxes every hour to aid the 'City' lot!
Fifer and I have noted the 'strange' postmarks - all delivered by RM in this area. Why does RM not charge them some extortionate fee for the abuse of their service? Sorry that is not competition, right?
Disgraceful.
Aye Joe and there are billions of £s rolling in off the oil taxes every hour to aid the 'City' lot!
Fifer and I have noted the 'strange' postmarks - all delivered by RM in this area. Why does RM not charge them some extortionate fee for the abuse of their service? Sorry that is not competition, right?
Disgraceful.
Posted by: Corrupt EU, Fife on 10:20pm Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]Im no really here[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]Corrupt EU[/bold] wrote: Hey, gold's on the up again. I love the stuff. http://www.bullionva ult.com/gold_prices. do?considerationCurr ency=GBP[/quote] Oil's doing even better. It was revealed that Westminster is set to gain over 22bn in taxes on oil, Oil past $125, what is it now. What's Brown doing with all the extra cash? Waiting to give it as handouts at the election no doubt.[/quote] That's the only way NuLabour can gain support. No sane person will willingly vote for them, so they have to bribe the unemployed (unemployable) and allow illegals and other grateful economic migrants to flood into the country. I think they were even talking about allowing convicted criminals (prison inmates) to vote. That'll give them another 83,349 NuLab votes in England and Wales. Then there are the thousands of career criminals who have been released/compensated
/rewarded by the NuLab government.
It'll be interesting to see if GB's NuLabour approval rating can drop below 23%. In the meantime, I don't trust their promises to guarantee our savings. That's why I'm for gold etc. NuLabs word means nothing to those who work and pay taxes. We'll never forget their lies over the EU Constitutional Treaty.
Im no really here wrote:
Corrupt EU wrote: Hey, gold's on the up again. I love the stuff. http://www.bullionva ult.com/gold_prices. do?considerationCurr ency=GBP
Oil's doing even better. It was revealed that Westminster is set to gain over 22bn in taxes on oil, Oil past $125, what is it now. What's Brown doing with all the extra cash? Waiting to give it as handouts at the election no doubt.
That's the only way NuLabour can gain support. No sane person will willingly vote for them, so they have to bribe the unemployed (unemployable) and allow illegals and other grateful economic migrants to flood into the country. I think they were even talking about allowing convicted criminals (prison inmates) to vote. That'll give them another 83,349 NuLab votes in England and Wales. Then there are the thousands of career criminals who have been released/compensated
/rewarded by the NuLab government.
It'll be interesting to see if GB's NuLabour approval rating can drop below 23%. In the meantime, I don't trust their promises to guarantee our savings. That's why I'm for gold etc. NuLabs word means nothing to those who work and pay taxes. We'll never forget their lies over the EU Constitutional Treaty.
Posted by: jazzdrum, glasgow on 10:31pm Fri 9 May 08
vote for labour and make sure your local hospital and post office are shut down with your local labour mp protesting about it and going on marches for a poilcy they voted for last year in westminsiter.
vote for labour and make sure your local hospital and post office are shut down with your local labour mp protesting about it and going on marches for a poilcy they voted for last year in westminsiter.
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