Fight to save North post offices starts today

Jul 1 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

MPs pledge to back protests

NEWCASTLE North MP Doug Henderson said: "I have already had representations from the Garden Village Post Office and some of their customers. And in the case of the Garden Village, I am not convinced of the reasons they have given for closure.

"After further consultation with constituents I will be making direct representations to the Post Office."

Blyth MP Ronnie Campbell said he would support constituents who wanted to save the post offices, but said customers had to realise that subsidised branches were costing a lot of taxpayers’ money.

He said: "This is about cutting the subsidy to the post offices. It isn’t going to be helpful to the older people, but I’m afraid it’s costing a lot of money.

"If people want to fight this, I will fight it with them."

North Durham MP Kevan Jones said: "I want any residents who may be affected to be able to have their say, and I will be consulting them directly, in addition to any consultation the Post Office may be undertaking."

Hexham MP Peter Atkinson said: "There is a feeling of rank hypocrisy about this. We have seen Labour MPs, even Labour ministers, campaign against the closure of their local branch but going ahead and backing the overall closure programme.

"And the Government has made it very difficult for anyone concerned about a post office by making it clear that if a campaign to save one branch were to succeed, the result would have to be another branch closing elsewhere.

"It’s a case of heads we lose, tails you win."

For reaction to the closures, see The Journal tomorrow.