THE recent letters fingering the EU as the main culprit for post office closures and changes to letter pricing are grossly misleading. The real villain lies closer to home.

Responsibility for the latest round of post office closures lies largely with New Labour, which has chosen not to support socially valuable services in many areas, despite being entitled to do so under EU rules.

This decision needs to be set against massive decline in post office use, caused partly by social and lifestyle change and partly by New Labour’s decision to reduce the number of counter services that post offices can offer.

In 2010, the contract for the Post Office Card Account will go out for tender, potentially meaning the loss of yet more functions.

The new pricing structure for letters is the result of a decision made by Royal Mail management.

This was prompted by the new realities of the postal sector, fostered again by New Labour, which has opened up the UK market to competition well ahead of other EU countries.

The choices made by our national government reflect the worship and glorification of the ‘free market’ by the main three political parties, who have followed the lead set by the US - not Europe.

Until recently, the EU served as an important bulwark against neo-liberalism.

Europhobes need to get a reality check.

DR GRAHAM GARDNER, Research Fellow, Institute of Geography & Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University.