Labour: Soft on Rock, hard on Post Offices say Dunvant Councillors

1.17.01pm GMT Tue 22nd Jan 2008

Dunvant's Welsh Liberal Democrat Councillors John Newbury and Nick Tregoning have both drawn a stark contrast between Labour's treatment of Northern Rock and its treatment of our community Post Offices.

"What a contrast," said John Newbury. "Gordon Brown's New Labour is too scared to take the proper course of action and nationalise Northern Rock in order to protect taxpayers' money, but they happily took the decisions that mean the loss of community Post Offices up and down Wales."

"Labour have poured billons of pounds of taxpayers' money into Northern Rock, but will not spend a fraction of that sum on developing the Post Office network. 4,000 post offices have so far closed under Labour. They plan to close at least 2,500 more."

"As for Swansea, it's time for Labour and their Plaid helpers in Cardiff to come clean over which Post Offices they plan to cull in our area. Now that the announcements have begun in Cardiff, the level of anxiety felt by postmasters and postmistresses around here, not to mention communities like Dunvant that rely upon the post offices they run, will be acute. Announcements are due to drag on to July this year. That isn't good enough."

"Labour can wriggle as much as they like, but the Post Office closures are down to them," continued Nick Tregoning. "The Labour government has systematically withdrawn services from the Post Office. Last year the value of services withdrawn by Labour equalled £168 million, whilst Post Offices Ltd made an operating loss of £111 million. Labour doesn't like Post Offices and would rather trust the banks. After Northern Rock, that's a laugh."

"Labour and Plaid need to admit which of our local post offices they plan to axe right now, so that the fight back can begin."

"The great pity of all this is that it isn't necessary. If Labour were prepared to swallow their pride and implement Welsh Lib Dem plans, we could save and expand the network, rather than emasculate it. All at a fraction of the £2000 a head that we taxpayers are paying to shore up Northern Rock's liabilities."

Ends

Note to Editors

Lib Dem proposals include:

A £2 billion fund to invest in Post Office branches;

Opening new branches where there is a need;

Retaining Post Office Card Accounts for benefits and pension payments;

Freeing the Post Office from Royal Mail restrictions; and letting it develop new business.

A new legal requirement for government in both Westminster and Cardiff to maintain the local Post Office network.