Post Office restructuring

Last December, the government announced plans to radically restructure the Post Office network, which would see 2,500 of the 14,300 branches closed. Ministers hailed the move as providing security and a viable long-term strategy for the network, but opposition parties have said the plans will do nothing of the sort.

Below, shadow trade and industry secretary Alan Duncan and Liberal Democrat trade spokeswoman Susan Kramer have set out their problems with the plans in exclusive articles for politics.co.uk. Postal services minister Jim Fitzpatrick has also written an article defending the changes, while the chairwoman of Postwatch, Millie Banerjee, looks at the argument with a view of how the consumer will be affected.