Public to be given chance to run post office network The Government said that it concludes "that the public benefit provided by the Post Office through its widely accessible branch network and the services made available there should be codified within the constitution of a mutual Post Office." Mr Lamb said: "Post office branches are relied upon by communities the length and breadth of the country. This consultation has shown that those who know the Post Office best - its staff, sub-postmasters and consumers - have a clear interest in playing a greater role in how it operates. The news will cheer thousands of readers who backed a campaign by The Daily Telegraph five years ago against plans by the Labour Government to close over 2,000 post offices, many of them in rural areas. Andy Burrows, head Of Post Offices at postal watchdog Consumer Focus said: "Mutualising the Post Office is a great opportunity and this is the start of what will be a long journey. For it to work there must be a balancing act between the interests of consumers and those of operators. Consumers need strong representation and it is good that the Government recognises this. George Thomson, the general secretary of the National Federation of SubPostmasters general secretary, added: "Today's report represents a significant milestone on the road to creating a Post Office mutual, in which subpostmasters, staff and customers will all have a far greater say in the future of this vital national asset."