Sarah Only Brent MP To Vote Against Post Office Closures

4.27.38pm GMT Thu 20th Mar 2008

Sarah Teather is campaigning against local Post Office closures

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather was last night the only Brent MP to vote against Labour's Post Office Closures.

The Government want to close 2,500 Post Offices across Britain, including another 6 in Brent. Sarah voted for a House of Commons motion calling for a freeze on all Post Office closures.

However, despite acknowledging "the high dependence that local, elderly and vulnerable people in the Stonebridge area have for post office services" (Butler), both Brent's Labour MPs ignored the views of local people and voted to back the Government's closure plans. The motion to suspend Post Office closures was therefore lost.

If the 2,500 closures go ahead, Labour will have axed 10 Post Offices for every single week they have been in power.

Last week Sarah went to Downing Street to hand in 52,000 signatures calling for Gordon Brown to halt Labour's Post Office closure programme.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Local people tell me that they don't want more Post Office closures in Brent. It was therefore absolutely right that I voted against Labour's closure plans in the House of Commons, just as my constituents asked me to do.

"Post offices are the bedrock of our communities. It is the most vulnerable and underprivileged in our society who use Post Offices the most, and it is essential that we preserve these services.

"Under Labour we have already lost a quarter of our Post Offices in Brent. I was proud to take a stand in Parliament against further closures, and it's a huge blow to local people that the motion to suspend Post Office closures did not pass.

"The Government seem determined to ignore local opinion in order to force through these unpopular and unfair closures. They should listen to the hundreds of local people who have signed petitions and campaigned against these plans, and go back and think again."

Liberal Democrat GLA Candidate for Brent and Harrow, Cllr James Allie, said:

"It is outrageous that Brent's Labour MPs put their loyalty to the Government ahead of the views of local people. Last night they had a golden opportunity to stop the Government's Post Office closures, but they let us down.

"People in Brent will be shocked that some Labour MPs are saying one thing on their website and leaflets, yet doing the complete opposite in the House of Commons where it really counts. They have abandoned vulnerable and elderly local people in Brent, and should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

"Brent's Labour MPs should be using their privileged position in Parliament to further local concerns, not their careers."

Related Links:

Read the full Post Office debate.

Read the Lib Dem plan to save the Post Office.