Scotland is being left behind in the delivery of essential services, according to new figures showing Post Office numbers are falling faster here than anywhere else in the UK.
Over the last decade, the number of Post Offices in Scotland has dropped by 8.3%, while London has seen an increase of 9.3%.
The data, compiled by the House of Commons Library, has prompted strong criticism from SNP MPs, who say Scotland’s rural and island communities are being sidelined once again.
Graham Leadbitter, SNP MP for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, said the contrast in treatment is stark.
“Let’s be absolutely clear,” he said.
“Westminster is effectively closing branches in Scotland and reopening them in England.”
“When it comes to the Post Office, Westminster simply doesn’t deliver for Scotland.”
With 98% of Scotland’s landmass considered rural, and around one in five Scots living in those areas, campaigners warn that communities are being cut off from vital local services.
Access to Post Office branches is especially important in rural and island communities, where banks have already disappeared, public transport is limited, and digital alternatives are not always reliable.
Leadbitter accused the UK Government of having a London-first approach that ignores the needs of those living in remote parts of the country.
“London Post Office numbers are soaring yet in Scotland we face the steepest decline in the UK,” he said.
“The failure to support rural communities will hit us hard.”
The MP added that the cuts are part of a wider pattern.
“Time and time again Scots are forced to contend with Westminster governments that treat Scotland as an afterthought,” he said.
“It’s no wonder more and more people are asking how long we stay tied to this so-called Union of Equals.”
The SNP has vowed to continue pushing for stronger local services across rural Scotland and says decisions on critical infrastructure like the Post Office must better reflect the geography and needs of the people who live here.
For many communities in the Highlands and Islands, the Post Office remains a lifeline.
And with branches disappearing, the question of who speaks for Scotland’s rural heartlands is growing louder by the day.
