Post Office Manifesto

Small shops are struggling to survive because of local, regional and national government policies, together with the competition authority’s failure to deal with the aggressive policies of supermarkets. These factors have been compounded by the recession and the closure of over 100 businesses every day.

Throughout these difficult times, the Post Office has remained the hub of the local community providing essential services to
individuals and small businesses and also generating footfall for surrounding businesses. The Post Office network is essential for keeping the high street alive and for keeping trade local.

The loss of 2,500 Post Offices in the recent Network Change Programme, alongside the loss of many UK independent retailers, has far reaching socio-economic and environmental implications for the whole community.
The Keep Trade Local campaign was launched in March 2008 and has since been taken up by local communities across the UK.

View the complete Post Office Manifesto Document.

Six Months On

It is six months since the Federation of Small Businesses launched its Keep Trade Local campaign and as national campaigns go, it would appear that it has been a resounding success.

Most recently the FSB took the campaign to the party conferences where it has won the support of MPs and Ministers across the political spectrum.

The campaign will now move to tackling the issue of crime against business and the growing problem of the ever shrinking Post Office network on which many small businesses rely, not only for their mail but for banking and other services, especially in rural communities.

If you want to make your voice heard, join the FSB campaign today and sign the online petition.

Parking Manifesto

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that local Authorities are using parking charges as a source of revenue, but in market towns across the country this strategy is bleeding our high streets dry.

As part of their Keep Trade Local campaign, the FSB has launched its parking manifesto. Policies for Sustainable Communities.