THE CLOSURE of dozens of Hampshire post offices will go ahead as planned after a last ditch attempt to save them was defeated in Parliament last night.
A Tory motion demanding Post Office bosses "suspend" the Government's programme to axe up to 2,500 branches across the UK - including about 60 in Hampshire - was rejected in the Commons by a majority of just 20 votes.
The motion was supported by the Lib Dems but opposed by most Labour MPs even though many of them - including Southampton's John Denham and Alan Whitehead - have campaigned against closures in their constituencies.
Labour MPs were accused by Tory Post Offices spokesman Charles Hendry of a "betrayal of the most vulnerable people in their constituencies that will haunt them for the rest of their careers".
Chris Huhne, Lib Dem MP for Eastleigh, said Mr Denham should have resigned from his Government post as Skills Secretary to oppose the post office closures in the same way as he did over the Iraq war.
Mr Denham hit back, saying: "It's quite possible to support overall Government policy of capping the taxpayers' subsidy to post offices, and putting more money in, while not agreeing with the way the Post Office takes every single decision."
Posted by: Andy, Locks Heath on 8:20am Thu 20 Mar 08
One aspect of post office closures that angers me is that once again it targets rural communities. The Labour Government have no problem in throwing billions of taxpayers' money at Private Sector problems in their own voters' heartlands (where most Northern Rock investors live funnily enough) nor in unworkable schemes such as Identity cards which is supposed to "fix" an urban problem, but strangely and once again they cannot find any money at all to safeguard rural post offices, nationally integrated rural bus networks or strategic rail-gap reopenings eg Lewes-Uckfield for peanuts yet though they can find £15 BILLION for London Crossrail. Labour Cities in the Labour North get tram networks, we in the south do not.
I accept that the Sub Post Office network needs radical overhaul, but total closure is an outrageous abrogation of the Government's duty. I don't trust them with my taxes and they rob me of more of my money every year to fund pet urban projects. The trouble with labour now is that they no longer even realise how corrupt they've become.
One aspect of post office closures that angers me is that once again it targets rural communities. The Labour Government have no problem in throwing billions of taxpayers' money at Private Sector problems in their own voters' heartlands (where most Northern Rock investors live funnily enough) nor in unworkable schemes such as Identity cards which is supposed to "fix" an urban problem, but strangely and once again they cannot find any money at all to safeguard rural post offices, nationally integrated rural bus networks or strategic rail-gap reopenings eg Lewes-Uckfield for peanuts yet though they can find £15 BILLION for London Crossrail. Labour Cities in the Labour North get tram networks, we in the south do not.
I accept that the Sub Post Office network needs radical overhaul, but total closure is an outrageous abrogation of the Government's duty. I don't trust them with my taxes and they rob me of more of my money every year to fund pet urban projects. The trouble with labour now is that they no longer even realise how corrupt they've become.
Posted by: Common People, Hampshire on 8:51am Thu 20 Mar 08
Surely this is a case of toeing the party line rather than representing the constituents once again by Denham and Whitehead. When will these clowns realise that they are elected to represent us not kick us in the nuts! And as for Huhne making his remarks, look at the way his mob voted in the Lisbon Treaty Referendum affair. They are all a disgrace. Rant over!
Surely this is a case of toeing the party line rather than representing the constituents once again by Denham and Whitehead. When will these clowns realise that they are elected to represent us not kick us in the nuts! And as for Huhne making his remarks, look at the way his mob voted in the Lisbon Treaty Referendum affair. They are all a disgrace. Rant over!
Posted by: older tax payer, southampton on 9:04am Thu 20 Mar 08
so my local post officeis to close and denham said he supported local post offices. when he had the opportunity to vote for them remaining open he chose not too. at least we now know Labours position in Southampton. it is clear that he will say one thing in southampton and do another in westminster
so my local post officeis to close and denham said he supported local post offices. when he had the opportunity to vote for them remaining open he chose not too. at least we now know Labours position in Southampton. it is clear that he will say one thing in southampton and do another in westminster
Posted by: Aaron, Winchester on 9:05am Thu 20 Mar 08
What a farce. While I accept that nationally the Post Office is apparently losing £3.5 million a week (how did that suddenly happen? Mismanagement? An overnight change in the way the public uses post offices?) the closure of the likes of Winchester's main post office is both unacceptable and nonsensical. PM Gordon Brown states that "there are 800 post offices which have on average 16 people using them every week and we need to take action". Well, Gordon, Winchester sure ain't one of them; customers queue out of the door at lunchtimes - a long, snaking queue of 60-plus people. Moving the post office to the nearby cramped WHSMith store is as equally a stupid idea. And it gets worse; I was in there the other day paying for something at the rear of the store nearest Parchment Street. As I went to leave via the nearest exit I found the doors were locked - they've now been made into a fire exit! Genius. I've a good mind to send Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier a steaming Thora Hurd in the post - Special Delivery of course as I wouldn't want it not to get there.
What a farce. While I accept that nationally the Post Office is apparently losing £3.5 million a week (how did that suddenly happen? Mismanagement? An overnight change in the way the public uses post offices?) the closure of the likes of Winchester's main post office is both unacceptable and nonsensical. PM Gordon Brown states that "there are 800 post offices which have on average 16 people using them every week and we need to take action". Well, Gordon, Winchester sure ain't one of them; customers queue out of the door at lunchtimes - a long, snaking queue of 60-plus people. Moving the post office to the nearby cramped WHSMith store is as equally a stupid idea. And it gets worse; I was in there the other day paying for something at the rear of the store nearest Parchment Street. As I went to leave via the nearest exit I found the doors were locked - they've now been made into a fire exit! Genius. I've a good mind to send Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier a steaming Thora Hurd in the post - Special Delivery of course as I wouldn't want it not to get there.
Posted by: bingolover, southampton on 10:11am Thu 20 Mar 08
Well if Gordon Brown's crew wanted to make the Conservative Party so popular that there's no way that Labour will win the next election, this was definately a step in the right direction!
Once again, elderly people are being further isolated by lack of public services. This is a shocking way to treat people who have been paying taxes their whole lives.
Also, I'd like to know where the government got these figures from. Every time I go to the Post Office, regardless of which one it is, I have to queue for at least twenty minutes!
Well if Gordon Brown's crew wanted to make the Conservative Party so popular that there's no way that Labour will win the next election, this was definately a step in the right direction!
Once again, elderly people are being further isolated by lack of public services. This is a shocking way to treat people who have been paying taxes their whole lives.
Also, I'd like to know where the government got these figures from. Every time I go to the Post Office, regardless of which one it is, I have to queue for at least twenty minutes!
Posted by: Condor Man, Southampton on 10:40am Thu 20 Mar 08
Denham sadly realised he'd almost killed his political career once so to do it again would have left him firmly on the back-benches (where he belong).
Watch in amazement next year when these two almost invisible MP's come back into the local domain to convince the electorate that they are worth another spell at Westminster. Give Royston Smith and Jeremy Moulton a go I say.
Denham sadly realised he'd almost killed his political career once so to do it again would have left him firmly on the back-benches (where he belong).
Watch in amazement next year when these two almost invisible MP's come back into the local domain to convince the electorate that they are worth another spell at Westminster. Give Royston Smith and Jeremy Moulton a go I say.
268 for
288 against
That speaks a lot, you know all the busy body nimbys would of been out to vote for keeping it, where as people who do not care wouldnt of bothered.
It looks like your precious post offices were not as great as your thought
268 for
288 against
That speaks a lot, you know all the busy body nimbys would of been out to vote for keeping it, where as people who do not care wouldnt of bothered.
It looks like your precious post offices were not as great as your thought
Posted by: nmills1757, southampton on 2:40pm Thu 20 Mar 08
the post office is a business if its losing money close it down otherwise my tax dollars have to support a branch that sells stamps to 10 people a year.
the post office is a business if its losing money close it down otherwise my tax dollars have to support a branch that sells stamps to 10 people a year.
Posted by: Gozza, In the queue at the post office on 4:23pm Thu 20 Mar 08
You pay your tax in dollars? You're not likely to be using a UK post office that regularly then!
Seriously, this whole problem stems from the insistence that public services must makes money. It's like the NHS - if we want it to be there when we need it, we've got to subsidise it through our taxes.
Hopefully the voters will remember this, and boot these two clowns out at the next election...but I have to say I dount it.
You pay your tax in dollars? You're not likely to be using a UK post office that regularly then!
Seriously, this whole problem stems from the insistence that public services must makes money. It's like the NHS - if we want it to be there when we need it, we've got to subsidise it through our taxes.
Hopefully the voters will remember this, and boot these two clowns out at the next election...but I have to say I dount it.
Posted by: Gozza, Still in the queue on 4:27pm Thu 20 Mar 08
[quote][bold]hmm[/bold] wrote:
268 for 288 against That speaks a lot, you know all the busy body nimbys would of been out to vote for keeping it, where as people who do not care wouldnt of bothered. It looks like your precious post offices were not as great as your thought[/quote] Umm...you do know that's MPs votes don't you? It isn't about NIMBYs and don't cares!
hmm wrote:
268 for 288 against That speaks a lot, you know all the busy body nimbys would of been out to vote for keeping it, where as people who do not care wouldnt of bothered. It looks like your precious post offices were not as great as your thought
Umm...you do know that's MPs votes don't you? It isn't about NIMBYs and don't cares!
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