Lib Dem Battle to Save Post Offices Continues

12.00.00am GMT Wed 3rd Jan 2007

Post office closures continue to gather pace say Lib Dems

John Leech MP and Manchester Liberal Democrats have stepped up their campaign to save Post Offices from closure, following the announcement by the Government of further massive cuts to the network.

Party campaigners launched their petition earlier this year calling on the Government to keep branches open and to retain the Post Office Card Account. The Government announced they were ending the Card Account, used by millions of pensioners to collect their pensions from Post Offices, in March. Yesterday Labour were forced into an embarrassing climb down after pressure from the Liberal Democrats with the announcement that the Post Office would be invited to tender for a replacement Card Account after 2010.

The Government announced on Thursday 14th December that 2,500 branches are to be closed. These are in addition to the 4,000 that have already been axed since Labour came to power in 1997 and the 3,500 that were closed by the previous Conservative government.

John Leech MP said:

"The Government's attitude towards Post Offices is shocking. It appears they are washing their hands of the network. The Prime Minister refused to intervene over the privatisation of Chorlton Post Office when I challenged him on this in Parliament. Now the Government are to allow the Post Office to close thousands more branches."

"The people of Manchester will now be calling Alistair Darling the 'Minister for Cuts' following his announcement in 2004 that the Manchester's Metrolink 'Big Bang' extension would be delayed and scaled down and now his announcement of thousands of Post Office closures."

"We have already seen the closure of five post office branches in Withington constituency since Labour came to power (1). Liberal Democrats are seriously concerned that local residents will lose more branches in coming years under Labour's closure plans, although we will not know which branches will be axed until after the next local election."

"We have already collected hundreds of signatures on our petition. Following the Government's announcement, we have stepped up our campaign and we will be looking to collect thousands more signatures over the coming weeks."

Post Office branches at Burton Road, Barlow Moor Road, Mauldeth Road West, Beech Road and Willow Bank all closed between 1999 and 2005.