Post Office closures likely to go ahead
Published Date:
20 March 2008
The closure of local post offices look likely to go ahead as planned after a last ditch attempt to save them was defeated in Parliament.
The tories put forward a motion demanding the closures be suspended by the Government but it was defeated.
Hastings MP Michael Foster refused to back the proposal despite having campaigned against closures in locally.
In Hastings the post office branches in George Street in the Old Town, White Rock in Hastings and St Leonards Green Post Office in Springfield Road are all for the chop.
Michael Foster hit back at claims he had turned his back on the post offices by not voting against the closures.
He said: "The Government has been the first to recognise that Post Offices need social subsidy and the £150,000,000 a year (£18,000 per Post Office) which is currently on the table should keep many of these post offices open.
"The Tories are not prepared to even match the current level of investment which over five years will amount to £1.7 billion so how on earth can they propose their no cuts agenda with a straight face?"
He vowed to continue his fight for retaining the local offices and has called on the county council to step in as in Essex.
What do you think about the plans to close the post offices? Should the Government be doing more or do you agree with Michael Foster and think the county council should step in? Leave your comments below.
The full article contains 259 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
20 March 2008 2:46 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Hastings
