Post office closures condemned - but Tories walk out

12.24.00pm GMT Thu 6th Mar 2008

• THE closure of our local post offices was condemned by the Liberal Democrat council at the full council meeting held on Tuesday 4th March.

Cllr Munira Wilson and Cllr Stephen Knight proposed a motion which not only condemned the planned closures, but also asked the council to make strong representations on behalf of local residents to Post Office Ltd against the planned closures. Cllr Munira Wilson said, "The post offices earmarked for closure - three within the borough and one just over the border in Hounslow - are at the heart of their local communities. Many local people, particularly the elderly and frail, but also the self-employed and small local businesses, as well as mothers with young children, will be hit very hard by these closures. Councillors and Vincent Cable MP have been inundated by the response to their surveys and petitions against the closures. We will make sure their views are heard but it's important that as many local residents as possible also respond to the Post Office consultation."

In a bizarre turn of events, the Conservative opposition chose not to participate in or vote on the post office motion. They had walked out of the council meeting knowing that this important item was on the agenda. Cllr Stephen Knight who seconded the motion said, "The Conservatives have turned their backs on the local post offices that are under threat and the thousands of residents that use them. I don't understand how they could knowingly do this. Their actions show contempt for residents and could send a worrying signal to Post Office Ltd that these post offices are not important. After all, it was the last Conservative government that started closing down post offices - some 3500 under their watch. I can assure the people of Twickenham, Teddington and Whitton that the Liberal Democrats would have stayed in the council chamber all night to fight for these post offices".

The deadline for the consultation period is 2 April. Views should be sent to Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, Freepost Consultation Team or e-mail: consultation@postoffice.co.uk before the deadline closes. Cllr Munira Wilson added, "We need to send a strong signal to Post Office Ltd that these post offices are at the heart of our community and the threat of closure should be withdrawn immediately".