The National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP) is aware of social media posts where people have threatened to boycott post offices due to the ITV drama about ‘Mr Bates vs the Post Office’.

The Horizon scandal is the biggest miscarriage of justice ever seen in the United Kingdom. As postmasters ourselves, it has been harrowing to watch. Whilst the reaction from the general public to what the victims have experienced is understandable, the outpouring of feeling towards Post Office Ltd (PO) for their role in this scandal across social media may be detrimental to our businesses today, by association.

Postmasters have already been the most affected by this scandal, so we urge the general public to continue to support your local post office.

Post offices are the beating heart of local communities. Postmasters are investors in PO and 98% of post offices are privately owned*. Many have life savings in their business, and they need your continued support. They are important contributors to local economies and are, collectively, a major employer in the UK.

Your local post office delivers vital services to the most vulnerable in your community: providing parcel and letter collection and despatch; access to cash, essential utilities plus banking and Government services; without the post office network, millions of people would be cut adrift from these vital services.

The NFSP has today written to MPs across the United Kingdom urging governance of PO to change radically and urgently.

*Post office figures based on London Economics: Part and Parcel: The economic and social value of Post Office, February 2023.