Huw Irranca Davies votes for post office closures

12.00.00am GMT Tue 25th Mar 2008

Martin Plant and Gary Lewis campaign against Post Office closures

LIBERAL Democrats in Maesteg, Ian Jones, Gary Lewis, Martin Plant and Cllr Jackie Radford have accused Huw Irranca Davies of failing to support local services after he voted to support the Government's massive post office closure programme.

The Government has ordered that one in five branches be closed. Opposition MPs tried to stop the closure programme on 19th March when a motion was proposed in the House of Commons demanding the Government halt their plans to make 2500 branches shut up shop.

But enough Labour MPs rallied around the Government's closure plans to reject the motion and ensure the closure programme can continue unhindered. One of those voting to close post offices was Ogmore's MP Huw Irranca Davies.

Disappointed local Liberal Democrat campaigners are calling on Huw Irranca Davies to explain why he voted to close post offices.

The Labour Government has announced its intention to close 2,500 Post Offices across the UK by 2009. A consultation on closures for this area will take place in June later this year.

"Huw Irranca Davies has let down people in Maesteg and across Ogmore by voting to allow the closures to continue," said local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Martin Plant. "In three months the announcement will be made as to which branches here will be put forward for closure. This was an opportunity for Huw Irranca Davies to make a stand on behalf of residents. I am disappointed he has backed the Government rather than local people.

"The loss of post offices will hit communities hard in Ogmore. They are vital assets for many local people and closing them will cause many difficulties for older people and others with mobility problems, in particular.

"Despite the decision of Huw Irranca Davies to help the Government press ahead with closure, Liberal Democrats are continuing to fight the demolition of the post office network."