Debate Feedback 29th October meeting
Part 1

The main issues debated were saving the Post Offices and Proportional Representation.
Firstly I was most disappointed that we as a country our powerless to change the process and more surprising it is again the fault of the EU.
1. EU Directive 2002/39/EC
States, “25% of the postal services must go out to competition”. This means that only the areas of the business likely to make good profit are going to be taken on by say DHL for example. That means the Royal mail cannot afford to maintain branches they consider uneconomical. It sounds fine when you look at it terms of making money. But the reason Post Offices are needed to be saved is not for the likes of myself who is in a busy area near to an un threatened Post Office but for the old and vulnerable who require their branch as a lifeline to them.
2. EU Directive 97/67/EC
This directive forced our Post Offices to change the structure of pricing i.e. for size and weight to come in line with the German state owned DHL.
3. Our Government
They have withdrawn contracts with the Post Office to pay benefits TV Licence and Car Tax. The protections previously held by the Post Offices are being removed.
4. Article 88 of the Amsterdam Treaty
The government can no longer provide the Social Network Payment of £150m this ends in April 2008. Post Office will then close.

So again with the Labour Tory Liberal coalition we are unable to defend the needs of the elderly and remote.