Government Fails To Listen On Post Offices

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 21st May 2007

Liberal Democrats in Chesterfield have hit out at the government's failure to listen to the concerns of local people in over post office closures. The Government announced last week that they will continue with their plan to close at least 2,500 post offices across the country.

Chesterfield Liberal Democrats have been campaigning against post office closures and are today stepping up the fight against the Government's plans.

The Government have still not published the list of post offices to be closed, but with one in five post offices nationwide set to shut it is unlikely that Chesterfield will escape.

Paul Holmes, Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield said:

"It is outrageous that the Government have ignored the concerns of local people and are continuing with their plan to close at least 2,500 post offices.

That means we could lose yet more post offices here in Chesterfield, after 1 in every 3 post offices in Chesterfield and Staveley have already closed. We cannot afford see more of these valuable local resources shut down.

Along with many local people, I have been campaigning against the Government's post office closure plans and will now be stepping up the fight once again.

If, instead of initiating a further round of cuts, the Government were to adopt Liberal Democrats plans for the Post Office then they would be able to invest an additional £2 billion in the network and safeguard the future of local post offices for years to come.

The Conservatives have nothing to offer our post offices. Only the Liberal Democrats have a fully-funded plan to save the post office."