Local Labour MPs fail to support South Wales Post Offices

12.00.00am GMT Thu 20th Mar 2008

Peter Black and Helen Ceri Clarke at a local Post Office

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has expressed his disappointment at the news that all seven of the Labour MPs representing constituencies within his region have voted to continue the post office closure programme in South Wales.

All seven MPs voted against a Conservative amendment, supported by the Liberal Democrats, to suspend the Post Office closures. An announcement on which Post Offices in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend Council areas will close is due in June. A total of 4,000 Post Office branches have been closed since Labour came to power in 1997. This is in addition to the 3,500 Post Office branches that were closed under the last Conservative Government.

"These MPs represent their constituents in Parliament, and yet when it came to the crunch they failed to cast their vote to save vital services that local people want kept open." said Mr. Black. "No doubt, once closure plans are announced in June they will be the first to go running to the press and to pose as champions of the Post Office and yet when they had the chance to do things differently they bottled it. Welsh Liberal Democrats have consistently backed Post Offices in local communities as well as in the Welsh Assembly and Parliament. We will back campaigns to save local Offices and will continue to pressure the government to change their policies."

"The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have a costed alternative to this closure policy. We have proposed separating the Post Office from the Royal Mail Group, and raising £2 billion from the sale of shares in Royal Mail which can be used to make local Post Offices more sustainable as businesses."

ENDS

Notes: Hywel Francis MP, Sian James MP, Alan Williams MP, Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Martin Caton MP, Peter Hain MP and Madeleine Moon MP all voted against the Conservative amendment to suspend Post Office closures.

The vote was defeated by 268 to 288, with at least 19 Labour MPs voting with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.