Commenting on the Government’s decision to allow the Post Office to retain the contract for the card account, Liberal Democrat Shadow Scotland Secretary, Alistair Carmichael said:

“This u-turn is very good news for post office owners and users across Scotland.

“The loss of the card account would have been the final nail in the post office network’s coffin.

“However, the fact remains that many more post offices will continue to close as a direct consequence of this Government’s policy of removing benefits and other payments from post offices.

“The immediate threat to many post offices may have been averted, but the long-term prospect for many of them remains poor.”