GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS THREAT TO LOCAL POST OFFICES

8.24.17pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 18th May 2007

Responding to the government's announcement that it will press ahead with its plans to close one in five post offices across the country, local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Serena Tierney condemned the policy as unfair, unkind and unnecessary.

"Here in Mid Sussex, we have already lost 8 post offices since this government came to power despite strong local campaigns to save them. Now our local communities face losing even more post offices.

"It is unfair - the government has again failed to hear what people are saying: the post office network is a much-valued service and should be designed to reflect local needs not 'national frameworks'. Applying 'national' criteria has left the west of Haywards Heath with no local post office at all although there are two in the east. That is not fair or sensible.

"It is unkind because the government has still not announced which post offices are under threat. Many sub-postmasters run other businesses that are vital to the local community and depend on the post office income to make ends meet. They have been living under the threat of losing their livelihoods since last year and the government has still not spelt out which of them are being considered for closure.

" And it is unnecessary because instead of a further round of cuts, the Government could adopt Liberal Democrats plans for the Post Office. Then they would be able to invest an additional £2 billion in the network and safeguard the future of our local post offices. Gordon Brown adopted our policy to make the Bank of England independent and that led to years of economic stability. He should have the courage to adopt our post office plan and safeguard this vital network.

"The Conservatives have nothing to offer our post offices. 3,500 post offices closed during the last Conservative government. It totally failed to take action to save the post office network. It clearly did not understand the value of local post offices to local people. The Conservatives still do not have a plan

"Only the Liberal Democrats have a fully-funded plan to save the post office."

For further information on the Lib Dem plan to save the post office network see http://www.libdems.org.uk/commerce/issues/postoffice.html