Post Office Counters Limited, now called Post Office Limited, is a state-owned company in the United Kingdom that operates the extensive network of post office branches, including counters, across the country[5]. The company is wholly owned by the UK government and accountable to it, though its Board is responsible for day-to-day operations[7].
Most branch post offices (about 99%) are run by franchise partners or by independent business people known as sub-postmasters. Only about 1% of branches, known as Crown Post Offices, are operated directly by Post Office Limited itself[5][7].
There have been discussions and government consultations about potentially transforming ownership, such as making the Post Office employee- or postmaster-owned, but as of now, the business remains wholly owned and subsidised by the UK government[3].