MP Angered by Post Office Closures - Gordon Prentice

Gordon Prentice - Pendle's Campaigning Labour MP

Written by Gordon Prentice

Tuesday, 01 April 2008 00:00

Local MP, Gordon Prentice, reacted with anger and disappointment to the news today that all six of the Post Offices branches in Pendle threatened with the axe are to close despite campaigns across Pendle to keep them open.

A fortnight ago, the MP broke the habits of a lifetime by voting with the Conservatives to suspend the closure programme in a last ditch attempt to force a re-think.

Speaking from Westminster today, the MP said: "I wanted to see a continuing subsidy for our Post Office branches with the amount publicised locally so people would feel an obligation to use their local branch."

"However, the brutal truth is that fewer and fewer people are using their local Post Office and neither the government nor any other Party was prepared to underwrite the network's losses far into the future."

"Even with a continuing subsidy, generating new business would have to be a top priority. The Government says only 4,000 branches out of 14,000 plus are commercially viable and could exist without subsidy."

"I have been in touch with all six local postmasters and mistresses and many want to get out and retire. But this will obviously leave a hole in the network. I feel very sorry indeed for those who wanted to carry on."

"The Conservatives have made it clear they are committed to matching the £1.7 billion the Government is putting into the Post Office network over the next three years. Since a large part of this is to compensate people getting out of the Post Office business, they too are anticipating the network will shrink. The Conservatives say they will also match the £150m annual subsidy."

Note to Editors:
The Conservative position was set out by Charles Henry MP in the Commons on 19 March. See Hansard col 1031 on parliament.uk on the internet.

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 October 2008 11:40 )