MSP Congratulates Banffshire Sub-Postmistress On Mammoth Petition

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson broke off from his surgery tour of local villages on Friday to congratulate a Banffshire sub-postmistress.

Whitehills postmistress Annette Addison has gathered over 900 signatures on her petition to save the Post Office Card Account from Government plans to phase it out in a few years’ time. The move is seen as yet another blow to the Post Office network which has recently lost the business of the TV Licensing Authority.

Speaking in Whitehills, Mr Stevenson said:

“This really is a first class effort for a community the size of Whitehills and makes it clear in no uncertain terms just how valued is the local Post Office by this small community.

“The Post Office really is the heart of many rural communities and even more so since many of the banks have closed their rural branches. We know that this Westminster Government is set on a course of undermining the viability of the Post Office for reasons which, frankly, escape me. Time after time we have seen a succession of blows to the viability of Post Offices from the scrapping of pension books, to withdrawing TV license facilities and now this daft plan to do away with the Post Office Card Account.

“I am not prepared to see the axe taken to rural services and the sheer size of this petition demonstrates that the Post Office is a highly valued service in the local community. I congratulate Annette on her effort in this regard and she can be sure that this has not gone unnoticed.”