Britannist

Kevin Adamson

Sad state of affairs that the towns and villages are loseing their souls.
Cant see the answer though,people are not going to run Pubs,Post offices,shops ect if they are loseing money.People stopped useing local ammienaties in favour of the superstore

Britannist

This Labour shower in power have deliberately run down the Post Office network in the UK on EU orders (i.e. to comply with EU Directives to make it easier for continental european postal delivery services to operate over here and compete with Royal Mail).

Besoeker

I think the demise of village life is much more than local Post Office closures and has being going on for much longer than the present incumbents have been in power. The changing nature of employment, mobility of the work force, property prices, loss of much of the manufacturing base etc. have all contributed.

Britannist

Much more needs to be done to protect village life.

And building on green countryside should be stopped.

The Bear

Now that’s a load of codswallop.

This and the previous government reached the decision to run down the Post Office network all on their own.

In order to stay within the rules regarding government aid that applies to all EU states and businesses the effect has been that along with the deliberate run down there has had to be cut backs.

As for the suggestion this has been done just to open the door for European postal services to operate within Britain, that is fallacious.

Apart from that, there’s nothing preventing the PO from expanding into other EU states other than the British government not wanting them to do so.

__________________
I am an old man. I have eaten much salt.

Britannist

What an extraordinarily rude thing to write (first line of the quote above) - and there is no used to use bold letters: grow up please. And would you please remember as a new member of this forum: we regular contributors on the forum do not address each other with that kind of terminology. You can disagree - but please keep it polite.

You are completely wrong in what you write above.

Responding to your latest defence of the EU on this anti-EU forum - you are clearly unfamiliar with the facts and most definitely need a lesson in what the actual situation is on this:

EU Directives have forced competition in delivery of larger letters resulting in the Post Office/Royal Mail having to make cuts in postal services and closure of thousands of post offices to the detriment of many local communities.

EU Directive 200239/EC amended EU Directive 9767/EC which reduced the Post Office (Royal Mail) monopoly to items weighing 100 grams or less or items costing 80 pence or less from 1.3.2003 (and which aimed to get 25% of postal services opened up to competition).

It also prepared for a reduction from 1.1.2006 to 50 grams or 65 pence. Postal services regulations 1999 S. I. 1999/2107 was the first part of an EU drive to a "harmonised european postal service".

The regulations altered the BT Act of 1981 under which Royal Mail had to provide a universal postal service.

EU Directive 97/67/EC is also responsible for the decision of Royal Mail (The Post Office) to change the way they charge for the delivery of letters from 21.8.2006 to one where postal charges are based on the size of letters and parcels as well as by how much they weigh.

The EU is responsible for increasing the cost of postage in the UK by forcing the introduction of delivery charges being determined on size of the envelope as well as its weight. Increasing postal charges of this kind is causing fewer people to visit Post Offices and post letters - the number of First Class letters being posted is down over 8%. The pro-EU Labour Government will try to use this as an excuse to shut down more Post Offices.

Last week it was announced that the French Postal Service is to start operating over here.

The Bear

Rubbish.

The driving force behind the cut backs is the issue of the degree of subsidising businesses that is permitted to take place from state funds.

As for harmonization across the EU states, that is a very good thing indeed as it ensures a level playing field that Britain can and should be using to its advantage, and probably would be if it were not for the dinosaurs who still think that Britain exists in the world of the mid sixties.

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I am an old man. I have eaten much salt.

Kevin Adamson

What you say is correct Brit,although the decline in letters I think has as much to do with e-mail as much as anything else.
What a rare treat I had a few weeks ago to receive a hand written letter from a distant friend,maybe we should all write a letter to someone to give our postal service a boost,

Anyone got a stamp?

Britannist

You are being sharp and rude (i.e. first line of quote above) - this is not necessary.

I recall you were (on this forum) calling for support for the disgusting death penalty the other day - yet you promote the very organisation which has stopped it being brought back here: the EU. You have not thought through your views on this at all.

All of the facts I have given in my last posting to this thread are correct and only a europhile would take your stance. Post Office closures are due to EU Directives and due to a Labour Government which cares little for village and rural communities.

As for your reference to "harmonisation" (quote above) - "harmonisation" is among the typical stale, outdated and discredited 1970's terminology used by europhiles who want to create a single EU Superstate including a pan-EU postal service. Which is what you want too based on your comments so far.

There is no "level playing field" (your words) as regards the EU - not as far as the UK is concerned.