I am concerned by the announcement that Brixton Post Office will be franchised or closed altogether later this year. This is a busy branch which many people in our community rely on for a range of vital services beyond sending and receiving post: from everyday banking to bill payment, collecting benefits, and renewing passports. It offers a crucial backstop for those who cannot easily do these things online or need to do so in person.

Closure would force residents to travel further to access these essential in-person services. Coming against a wider backdrop of local bank branch closures, its loss would have particularly damaging implications for elderly and digitally excluded members of our community.

Franchising will disrupt these essential services and is likely to result in an ultimate reduction to the overall service level. It typically means smaller branches, fewer staff, slower transactions, longer queues and worse customer service. The recent sell-off of WH Smith also underscores the precarity of this model, with potential knock-on impacts on the postal services such franchises provide.

We must protect our postal services and maintain the current standard of provision that people rely on. I urge the government to rethink the closure of Brixton Post Office, examine alternative approaches that would keep it open and guarantee existing service levels.