Post Office could hand ownership to employees amid review into its future
It marks the first comprehensive review of the postal service in 15 years, giving customers and postmasters the opportunity to have a say in how it is run, according to the DBT.
This includes the Post Office's ownership model, as the Government considers mutualisation, which could mean handing ownership of the company to thousands of its subpostmasters.
Furthermore, ministers announced plans to award a new subsidy package worth £118 million to fund a transformation plan and further investment that could improve its services.
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 and need from their Post Office in the years ahead.'
Neil Brocklehurst, Post Office's chief executive, said: 'We now have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to have a national conversation about the future of our post offices and their role in supporting communities across the UK.
'This Government consultation is a vital part of shaping what the future of Post Office could, and should, look like.'
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27 minutes ago
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When asked about removing the plans for strict age limits for sex education, Ms Phillipson told the BBC: 'I think what parents want to know is that they'll be able to see what's being taught. 'There sometimes can be occasions where it's necessary to broach a topic a little bit sooner in response to something that might have happened within the school, but parents would be informed and involved on that.' The guidance said pupils should be given the opportunity to discuss the sexual norms endorsed by so-called 'involuntary celibates' (incels) or online influencers by the end of secondary school. It added that secondary school pupils should be taught about the prevalence of 'deepfakes' and how pornography can portray 'misogynistic' attitudes and it can present harmful activities as normal. Students should be taught that strangulation – applying pressure to someone's neck – is a criminal offence regardless of whether it causes injury. 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Glasgow Times
27 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Britain cannot grow without ‘fighting fit' finance sector, Rachel Reeves says
Ms Reeves, delivering her annual Mansion House speech to the financial services sector, said changes were needed for the UK to stay competitive in a more uncertain global economy. 'Today, I have placed financial services at the heart of the Government's growth mission, recognising that Britain cannot succeed and meet its growth ambitions without a financial services sector that is fighting fit and thriving,' she told the attendees. She said the Government was delivering on its pledge, made at last year's Mansion House speech, to 'regulate for growth and not just for risk'. The Treasury announced a package of reforms on Tuesday aimed at attracting more investment to the UK, and among individual consumers, to help grow the economy. Ms Reeves said this involves 'rolling back regulation that has gone too far in seeking to eliminate risk', with plans to cut red tape in the City and reform banking rules including the ring-fencing regime. The UK is currently an outlier in forcing banks to separate their retail and investment banking activities, so reforms are hoped to make Britain more competitive globally. Ms Reeves also highlighted efforts to boost retail investment which she said is currently presented 'in a negative light, quick to warn people of the risks without giving proper weight to the benefits'. Plans include potentially changing the language of risk warnings on investment products to encourage more people, particularly women, to take the leap. The Leeds Reforms – named after one of our financial services' hubs and a city I'm proud to represent – will deliver the biggest package of reforms to financial services regulation in a decade. Kickstarting economic growth and putting more pounds in people's pockets. — Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) July 15, 2025 Furthermore, the Chancellor said new powers to mandate pension funds to invest in UK assets were 'sending a clear signal' that the Government and industry want to deliver higher returns for savers and more investment for the economy. 'But I am confident that I will not need to use that power because firms see the urgency and importance of this as clearly as I do,' she said. The 'Leeds reforms', unveiled in the West Yorkshire city, are set to be the biggest set of reforms to financial services for more than a decade, according to the Government. But the Chancellor concluded her speech by saying: 'As I look ahead, it is clear that we must do more. 'In too many areas, regulation still acts as a boot on the neck of businesses, choking off the enterprise and innovation that is the lifeblood of growth. 'Regulators in other sectors must take up the call I make this evening not to bend to the temptation of excessive caution but to boldly regulate for growth in the service of prosperity across our country.'
