Teather Slams Sham Post Office Consultations

9.51.02pm GMT Tue 13th Jan 2004

Sarah Teather speaking out against Brent Post Office closures in the House of Commons

Local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has today slammed the way consultations on Post Offices are carried out. The Brent East MP speaking in the House of Commons heavily criticised the way in which the views of local people were ignored in the consultations on Gladstone Parade and Brondesbury Post Offices this summer.

One of Sarah Teather's election commitments was to speak out against Post Office closures in Brent.

The Liberal Democrat MP had collected hundreds of petition signatures against local Post Office closures however the Post Office chose to ignore the views of local residents. Sarah Teather MP was speaking in the House of Commons ahead of a vital announcement by the Post Office over further Post Office closures in Brent.

The Post Office backed by the Labour Government is carrying out a closure programme that will see one third of all urban Post Offices closed. It's announcement will almost inevitably bring more bad news for Brent residents with further closures announced.

Brent East MP Sarah Teather said:

"I utterly condemn the way in which the consultations were carried out on the closures of Gladstone Parade and Brondesbury Post Offices. Hundreds of local people joined with me in protesting against these closures. Yet the views of local people were thrown out of the window by the Post Office and the Labour Government.

"In a meeting in November at Brent Town Hall the General Area Manager of the Post Office told me he had complete confidence in their consultation process. How can this be? When the views of local people are completely ignored. These consultations are nothing more than a sham.

"The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight on against the Labour Government's closure programme. The Conservatives are irrelevant in this debate when they were in power 4,000 local Post Offices closed."

Local residents can join Sarah Teather's campaign to save local Post Offices in Brent here http://www.brentlibdems.org.uk/petitions.php