Andy Slaughter Responds to Post Offices Accusation

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Tory proposal "dishonest," and "soundbite opportunism"

We reported on this site last week a (along with a handful of National newspapers including the Independent and) that Andy Slaughter had been accused of hypocrisy after voting against Conservative plans while continuing his protests against local closures.

Andy contacted us to put his view of the Conservative proposal: "The Tories' position on Post Office closures is dishonest and insults our intelligence. It does not even have the support of the National Federation of SubPostmasters whom they claim to champion.

"They ask for a review of the current closure programme - and they propose not the £150 million a year the Government will spend on subsidising loss-making offices, but nothing at all. That would mean a network not of 11,500 offices but 4,000. They must think we are very stupid.

"They are on record as accepting that thousands of post offices are not viable as long ago as October 2006, so their current position is just soundbite opportunism.

"My own position has been absolutely clear from the moment the London programme of closures was announced in early February. I have never said no post office will close, I have said my constituency is being unfairly targeted by Post Office Ltd with the number of proposed closures four times the national average. I also noted that the Post Office Limited had made basic errors of fact - including which offices were still open - which meant their proposals for this area were flawed. I also called upon the local councils to intervene and find homes for some of the offices. This they seem prepared to do, but only at nil extra cost to themselves.

"I do believe we can save some local offices - by clear and detailed submissions on the facts, not phoney resolutions. Both the local residents' group and the local press have adopted this approach, and I have received over 2,000 individual protests which will form part of my response to Post Office Limited.

"It was clear at both public meetings I have attended that while Labour MPs and councillors locally are genuinely working to preserve a post office network in west London, the Tories are posturing and have not even marshalled the bare facts of what is proposed. I find it ironic that the local Tories who are now throwing mud are extreme right-wing free marketeers, who do not believe in public subsidy to loss-making businesses under any circumstances. They are without conscience or merit."

Meanwhile, Postmasters await the results of the consultation which are due to be released in early May. Arun Taank, who runs the post office in Churchfield Road, said: "I am considering my options and I will see what is proposed after the consultation. At the end of the day, we live in the real world and much of our business is slowly being taken over by the internet."

 

March 26, 2008