SOUTHAMPTON’S MPs have attacked the Government’s plans to privatise the Royal Mail as they pay Christmas visits to the city’s post offices and delivery centres.

Labour’s John Denham and Alan Whitehead said the proposed sell-off plans would put the future of Southampton’s post offices in jeopardy. They insist the city’s post offices cannot survive without a guarantee of the business that they get from Royal Mail. Mr Denham, MP for Southampton Itchen and shadow business secretary, said: “The Government talks about stopping post office closures but its actions show the opposite.

“They recently blocked Labour’s plans to enable the Post Office to offer banking services – a Peoples’ Bank. This is a huge missed opportunity to help sustain the Post Office network in the future. And the Government’s privatisation of Royal Mail will threaten thousands of post offices for years to come.”

Dr Whitehead, MP for Southampton Test, who yesterday dropped into the Royal Mail delivery office in Shirley, added: “At the moment the Royal Mail has an agreement to use the post office network for its counter services. But this is under threat.

“Government plans could mean a privatised Royal Mail choosing to use other outlets for its counter services and could easily cut down the number of outlets to town centres only.

“This would deprive the post office network of up to a third of its income, and would put thousands of post offices at risk.

“I don’t want the Tories to put at risk our much loved national institution and leave people in Southampton without a decent postal service.”

Postal Affairs minister Edward Davey hit back at “scaremongering” over plans to bring private investment into Royal Mail, saying funding for the Post Office is more than doubling to ensure it remains in its current form.

He said: “I can categorically say that the Post Office is not for sale and that there will be no programme of closures. We’re determined to break the cycle of decline and protect this tremendous national asset.

“Our plans for the Post Office will make it an even more convenient and stronger retail partner for Royal Mail. The chief executive of Royal Mail has said it is “unthinkable” that there wouldn’t always be a strong relationship between Post Office and Royal Mail.”