While writing my post about the refurbishment of a local Post Office yesterday I came across the following graph. It is taken from a briefing note prepared by the House of Commons Library and I think it clearly demonstrates that the coalition government has been responsible for a genuine change in policy towards the Post Office network.
Throughout the 80’s and 90’s the trend in the number of Post Offices is downwards. During the later years of the Blair and Brown Labour governments this trend accelerates. But under the coalition government it flattens out. On this evidence it is clear that in this area of policy the coalition has been responsible for a significant change in direction.