McVey: I’m backing Mail’s crusade to stop the closures

TORY leadership candidate Esther McVey yesterday gave her backing to the Daily Mail’s campaign to save post offices from closure.

The former work and pensions secretary demanded that thousands of branches facing an impending threat of closure are protected.

And Business Secretary Greg Clark is under growing pressure to take action to guarantee their future.

The Mail’s Save Our Local Post Offices campaign is calling on the Government to extend subsidies and ensure a full range of services continue to be offered at branches.

We are also demanding that

‘Vital part of a local community’

banks pay their way for the services post offices provide on their behalf, and that subpostmasters – the independent businessmen and women who run local branches – are paid fairly for their work. Miss McVey, who has announced she will stand to become Tory leader when Theresa May steps down, last night gave her full support to the Mail’s campaign.

The politician, who used to be a television presenter, said: ‘Post offices are a vital part of a local community. With banks closing down in so many areas, post offices are an essential lifeline to so many people.’

She added: ‘I certainly support the Daily Mail for this campaign – every practical step should be taken to protect our Support: Esther McVey post offices.’ The Mail launched the campaign this week amid an unprecedented crisis.

Up to 2,500 post offices will close or be downsized over the next 12 months due to financial hardship, according to figures from the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters.

Around 1,000 have already shut and more than 3,000 branches in remote areas are only kept running by Government subsidies, which are due to end in April 2021.

This crisis will make worse the high street suffering that has seen 3,500 bank branches close since the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

Miss McVey quit her position in the Cabinet last November after a disagreement with the Prime Minister over her Brexit strategy.