04/14/2010: "Labour in action - post office closures"

hyndburn and haslingden's former labour mp - greg pope

"As you probably know there are proposals to close four sub-post offices in Hyndburn (and another one in Haslingden which I also represent). Post offices are important hubs in any community, not just a place where people go for services but also where people meet. They are part of the glue that holds our society together and people rightly feel strongly when their local post office is threatened with closure. Petitions are raised, local politicians put their party prejudices aside and work together for the good of the community (well, the grown up ones do), people get involved and want their voice to be heard. The closure process has been going on for years and I well recall opposing plans to close post offices under the Tories just as I am doing now under Labour, for at the heart of this is money: Post Office Ltd feels that it simply costs too much to keep the current network going and fewer people are using post offices. This point shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand as it does cost a lot in subsidy but it needs to be weighed against the social benefit that post offices provide to communities, something that can’t just be measured in pounds and pence. The truth is that the proposals go far too far and we can’t afford to lose the number of post offices that are under threat. I’ve tabled a Commons motion to that effect and I’m working with councillors of all parties and none in this campaign as I am a firm believer that we are stronger when we work together." (source: accrington observer 28-02-08)

Post Office Closures — Suspend for issues to be re-assessed — rejected — 19 Mar 2008 at 18:45
Greg Pope MP, Hyndburn voted against calling on the Government to suspend the compulsory closure of sub-post offices:
* calls upon the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to instruct Post Office Limited to suspend the compulsory closure of sub-post offices while these issues are re-assessed
(source: whips office)

the government won the vote not to suspend the planned 2500 post office closures, by just 20 votes!

a big difference from what our labour mp was telling the local paper and what he actually voted for 19 days later in parliament.