A new report by Mutuo, the leading mutuals think tank, advocates the mutualisation of the Post Office as a way of harnessing the energy, skills and enthusiasm of the Post Office’s customers and employees.

The new report, entitled Post Office: Made Mutual supports measures set out in the Government’s Postal Services Bill which advocates the transfer of Post Office Limited (POL) to a mutual organisation.

The report welcomes this radical new approach to public services but it is clear that before POL can be transferred to any different corporate body, it must first pass the test as a sustainable business.

The Government has today put forward a proposal that could see Post Office Ltd turned into a mutual, giving power to staff, sub postmasters and communities.

The Postal Services Bill, which will be debated by Parliament in the coming months, proposes powers to transfer ownership to a mutual. This proposal would give those who know the Post Office best – subpostmasters, staff, other post office operators and the customers they serve – a say in how the Post Office is run. The Bill includes protections to ensure that the Post Office will always be run for the public benefit.

On Tuesday Mutuo held a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. The meeting, entitled Mutual Financial Services ‘How can financial Services work in the public interest?’ was well-attended and gave Conservative delegates the opportunity to question Mutual business leaders.