MP accuses top Executives of “strangling” local post offices while protecting “top heavy” centre. 

Local MP, Andrew George, has accused senior Post Office Executives of protecting a “top heavy” fiefdom while strangling the life out of local post offices. Andrew met Post Offices Minister, Blair MacDougall MP, in the Commons, to make the case for reopening Newlyn and Porthleven Post Offices. Afterwards Andrew said: 

“A dozen post office branches closed during my 9 year absence from the Commons. Not only did richly rewarded senior executives close ranks as they sought to deny sub postmistresses and masters justice under the Horizon accounting scandal, but they created a remuneration system which they knew would be unsustainable. 

“I was joined at my meeting with the Minister by a local sub-postmaster with years of experience and inside knowledge of how the system works. He confirmed that it was now almost impossible under the sub post office franchise to secure even a minimum wage income, and that before all other costs (rent, employment on-costs, rates, utility costs etc) were taken into account. Well paid executives are content to maintain a top heavy centre while strangling local offices. 

“We were told a sub post office would have to sell an average of 450 stamps an hour to just about secure minimum wage (£15-16k p.a) over the full operational hours. Senior executives on hundreds of thousands a year expect sub post offices to operate on love rather than money. It’s a shocking disgrace. I’ve asked the Minister, who is new in post, to investigate this and to help me get these offices reopened.”