That response has been mirrored up and down the country. Outraged by the Government's threat to their sub post offices, people have signed petitions and written letters urging ministers to think again. Today this campaign culminated in a mass rally in London. York's very own Dick Turpin volunteered to stand and deliver the Evening Press coupons to Downing Street. There can be no doubt that our post office network is at risk.
New figures show that the number of closures has nearly doubled.
This trend will only accelerate if the Government switches benefits payments from post offices to claimants' bank accounts. That system would sound the death knell for countless branches. New Labour's determination to press ahead with this change demonstrates that its zeal for modernisation has blinded it to the needs of ordinary people. Post offices provide a vital service to the communities they serve. In rural areas, often already abandoned by banks, shops and pubs, they are an essential lifeline.