Save the Stockport Postmark!
Posted by Andrew Stunell, MP for Hazel Grove, at 15:47, Mon 25 May 2009:
If you still use snail mail you’re in for a surprise later this year – your letters and cards are going to be franked with a ‘Manchester’ postmark, not a ‘Stockport’ one.
Of course it is the bureaucrats’ friend again – rationalisation.
Over the years I have fought hard for some signs of commonsense from the Royal Mail and the Post Office as they closed down sub-post offices, and cut back on the services that those that remain could provide.
It has been an uphill struggle, and whenever there's a victory, like the rescue of the vital Post Office Card Account, they think of something else to put us back to square one. This time, they have decided to abolish the Stockport postmark, and let us all be Manchester instead.
It is a consequence of a bigger bit of nonsense – the move of Stockport Sorting Office to central Manchester. Everything we post will go into Manchester to be sorted. Slightly more than half of it will then be brought back to Stockport to be delivered (because that’s who we addressed it to in the first place). Hard to see how it saves either carbon or time, but it is deemed more efficient, and they can’t be bothered to use our postmark on it.
Stockport is a proud Borough, with a strong identity, and the casual abolition of our postmark is outrageous. They only sneaked the information out at all when I asked the direct question – when they added it as a throw-away comment on page two. There was no formal notice to anyone, showing a breath-taking and thoughtless disregard for the public the Royal Mail is supposed to 'serve'.
Already there has been considerable opposition to the decision. Stockport Council has condemned the idea, passing a motion with cross-party support, and Council Leader Dave Goddard has expressed his anger at the plan. This past week, former Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell has also come out against the plan. Mark Hunter MP and I have tabled a motion in Parliament calling for a Royal Mail rethink - and I am sure many local residents will join us in condemning what must be just about their most stupid decision since their last stupid decision.
If you are as outraged as we are, then get involved. You can show your support for the campaign by writing to Royal Mail to express your outrage at these proposals. You can send your letters to:
Adam Crozier Chief Executive of Royal Mail Group PLC 148 Old Street LONDON EC1V 9HQ
Let’s save the Stockport Postmark!
Andrew
Comments
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Posted by John Purves, 16:23, Mon 25 May 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Andrew, Losing the Stockport postmark may be a major issue to you but in the scheme of things, bearing in mind the issues facing us nationally and internationally, it is low down on my agenda. I have to say that historically this is very much a 'Liberal Party' type issue and is, in my opinion, what stops you as a party being taken seriously. John Purves.
Posted by Stuart Rutter, 17:37, Mon 25 May 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Andrew, Haven't you got better things to be worrying about? Stockport has much more serious issues than losing its postmark. Attracting some investment and some decent shops, and doing something about the appalling traffic jams should surely be much higher on your list of priorities. Stuart
Posted by Will Jessop, 21:09, Mon 25 May 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Andrew, This issue is of no interest to me whatsoever and I would rather you spent your time dealing with real issues such as the abundant dog fouling in parts of Romiley, the park with broken glass near the children's play area and if you want to campaign on something far more worthy, the endless battering our civil rights are taking in aid of the so-called 'war on terror'.
Posted by Dennis Price, 10:59, Tue 26 May 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Dear Mr Stunnel,
I do agree with your campaign and I will write to Crozier but as with the post office scenario I believe this another lost cause.The decision making by the most incompetent, useless bunch of Scottish nitwits some call a government, is where the blame is should be aimed. Crozier will be doing what his pals in the idiotic labour party are telling him to do . So I suggest you aim your campaign at your parliamentary associates. Finally I wrote to you in 2003, I declared that the labour government was a disaster and their period of office like previous labour governments would end in tears. I consider that statement now to be the understatement of the century. Unfortunately we will not be voting for Lib Dem because your leader reneged on the referendum !
Posted by Colin McNulty, 06:24, Wed 27 May 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Hi Andrew,
I too can't get excited about this. I don't even think I'd recognise the Stockport post mark if you put it in a line up. If the post office think it's more efficient to sort the post in Manchester, I expect they probably know what they're talking about and a more efficient and hence cheaper postal service is in everyones interest.
If you're looking for a popular campaign to jump on the bandwagon of, to replace the Ghurka one, this isn't it. It might appeal to retired Stockport postal workers maybe, but I'd suggest that most ordinary people won't even notice.
Ta,
Colin