The government has failed to give the postal services sufficient commercial freedom, the opposition claimed yesterday.

Speaking in the Commons after reports suggested that a new two-tier system of letter delivery is to be introduced by Consignia, the shadow trade secretary, John Whittingdale, said the government's mismanagement of the postal system was "extraordinary".

Patricia Hewitt sounded a note of caution on Consignia's plans to scrap second deliveries and deliver post to households later in the day.

The Independent reports today that the government is preparing secret plans to close 3000 post offices - the biggest ever closure programme the network has ever seen.