Save Essex Road Post Office

6.27.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 11th Jan 2008

Islington campaigners have reacted with anger to proposals to close Essex Road Post Office as part of a Government-backed restructuring.

Last year Labour ministers announced that 2,500 Post Offices across the country would have to close. Liberal Democrat MPs opposed the proposals when they were debated in a year ago, but local Labour MP Emily Thornberry voted to support the closure programme.

Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner Bridget Fox says, "Islington residents have already lost ten local post offices since 1999. How many more do Labour want to close? If the Government allows a crown office like Essex Road to close, then no post office is safe.

"Gordon Brown has undermined post offices by taking away millions of pounds worth of business, such as payment of benefits and TV licences.

"The government says that no-one will be more than a mile from a post office. On that logic, pensioners from Essex Road would have to go to Hackney. Emily Thornberry may think it's OK for people to 'go the extra mile' for the Post Office. Liberal Democrats do not."

The threat to close Essex Road Post Offices is a betrayal of the promises made to local residents when branches at Southgate Road and St Peter's Street were axed.

Last year Bridget Fox brought Britain's youngest MP, Jo Swinson, to support the campaign and collected hundreds of signatures opposing the closure. Now Bridget's set up a campaign website http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/SERPO. And she's approaching party leader Nick Clegg and Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick for their support.

Canonbury Councillor Paula Belford is backing the campaign. Paula says "This is a kick in the teeth for local people - especially the pensioners. Small businesses need the post office nearby. We'll be fighting this all the way."

Notes

4,000 Post Offices across the country have closed under Labour. In Islington, closures since 1999 include branches at Archway, Junction Road, Hornsey Road, Holloway Road, Westbourne Road, Copenhagen Street, Southgate Road, St Peter Street, Amwell Street and Old Street.

In January 2007, Liberal Democrat MPs supported a Parliamentary proposal condemning the Government's short-sighted plan to close 2,500 sub-post offices but Labour MPs, including Emily Thornberry, voted that down. Instead she endorsed "the Government's approach of allowing Royal Mail the freedom to respond to future commercial challenges and opportunities, and in particular enabling Post Office Limited to determine the future shape of the network" ie the closure programme.

Bridget Fox has lived in Islington since 1992 and is a well-known local campaigner. In 2005 she came just 484 votes behind Labour in the Islington South & Finsbury constituency. Bridget was Deputy Leader of Islington Council 2000-2006, when she led opposition to the previous round of post office closures.

Cllr Paula Belford was elected for Canonbury ward in May 2006. She is a well-known community campaigner who has chaired the Council's South Area Committee