Support for post office banking

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Most people would use a post office bank, according to a new poll which has revealed overwhelming support for a publicly run bank.

A survey of over 2,000 adults by the Post Bank Coalition showed that four out of five backed the idea and two thirds would use a bank in post offices.

The coalition, which includes business and pension groups and trade unions, said the Government should act on the findings and establish a publicly owned bank in post offices as quickly as possible.

There was now a growing consensus among politicians and the public for a new model of banking based on the "trusted" post office network, said the campaigners.

Billy Hayes, Communication Workers Union general secretary said: "This poll sends a clear and strong message to politicians - Britain wants a bank it can trust. Post Bank would serve real people, not just shareholders. The Government has a golden opportunity to make this a reality with the current consultation. It would be a win for the Post Office, a win for communities and businesses, and from these poll results it would be a vote winner too."

Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "Post offices in rural areas form the hearts of their communities and provide a lifeline to the many young mums, pensioners and rural businesses they serve. The Government now has a chance to recognise the role of the post office as the social and economic centres of rural Britain by supporting the Post Bank proposal.
"These poll results highlight the wider public's awareness that the current system is not working, and Government should heed this and adopt this common sense solution. Let's take this chance to create a network where our post offices provide banking services that not only support the network, but also ensure its future."

John Wright, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "Small businesses have had enough of the ongoing difficulties they encounter with their banks, and they need more options for taking out loans or extending overdrafts. The results from this survey show very clearly that the high street banks do not meet the needs of small businesses and that a Post Bank - a new bank set up in post offices around the country - would provide a solution to the problem of poor access to finance. It is time for the Government to listen to what businesses and communities want and make the Post Bank happen."

Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: "Pensioners are great supporters of the post office as it offers them a lifeline to the wider community. They want to see it flourish in the future and a publicly owned people's bank at the post office would be good news for all ages. It's time the political parties listened to public opinion before it's too late."
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