Labour's Post Office Hit List To Be Published February - Teather

2.18.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 14th Jan 2008

Brent's local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has vowed to fight any Post Office closures in Brent after the announcement that Labour's Post Office Hit List will be published on February 19th.

Labour plan to axe 2,500 Post Offices across the UK. Local campaigners had previously been told the list of Post Offices at risk would be published in April 2008, but this date has now been moved forward because Labour did not want their closure programme to clash with London elections.

Brent MP Sarah Teather and local Liberal Democrat councillors have actively campaigned against Labour's Post Office closures. New Party Leader Nick Clegg has recognised Sarah's record by promoting her to Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise. This post includes responsibility to lead the national fight against Post Office closures.

A quarter of the post offices in Brent have been closed since Labour came to power.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Since Labour came to power we have lost a quarter of our Post Offices in Brent. These closures strike at the very heart of our community, and particularly impact on older people and those with young children.

"In February we will finally know which Post Offices in Brent are on Labour's hit list. Decisions on the future of our Post Offices should have been open and transparent from the start. The Government must not dismiss local opinion in order to force through unpopular closures.

"It is the most vulnerable and underprivileged in our society who use Post Offices the most, and it is essential that we preserve these services. I look forward to leading the fight to save Brent's Post Offices."