Efforts to turn around the crisis-hit Post Office have been given a £118m funding boost as the government continues to consider a new ownership structure.
Sky News revealed in October last year, as the Horizon IT scandal inquiry neared its conclusion, that a government-commissioned review was to explore the idea of a mutual model.
It would effectively see ownership transferred from the government to sub-postmasters, creating a John Lewis Partnership-style structure, if such an option was to be followed through.
It’s being considered as a way to return public and postmaster trust to the Post Office.
The options are to be the subject of a 12-week consultation on the organisation’s future. The prospect of a sale of the Post Office has been ruled out.
The new £118m subsidy package was being made available, the Department for Business and Trade said, to fund the transformation plan and further investment.
It added: “This funding will protect key services, including access to cash deposits and withdrawals as well as key government services, such as passport applications and the DVLA, alongside helping the Post Office deliver cost-saving measures in its Transformation Plan, part of the New Deal for Postmasters.”
Post Office minister Gareth Thomas said: “Post Offices continue to be a central part of our high streets and communities across the country.
“However, after 15 years without a proper review, and in the aftermath of the Horizon scandal, it’s clear we need a fresh vision for its future.
“This Green Paper marks the start of an honest conversation about what people want…
