Save Our Post Offices campaign enters Downing Street

4.49.55pm GMT Wed 12th Mar 2008

Liz Leffman and her Lib Dem team fighting to save our post offices

The Liberal Democrats today presented a petition of over 50,000 signatures calling on Gordon Brown to reverse his Government's savage post office closure programme, which has hit Durley, Bishops Waltham (Newtown), Curdridge and West Meon post offices in Meon Valley.

Labour's plans to close 2,500 Post Offices will hit communities hard across Britain. The closures come on top of a further 7,500 already closed by Labour and Conservative governments in previous years.

Liz Leffman, Prospective Lib Dem MP for Meon Valley, who ran a campaign to save her local post offices and is still campaigning to prevent West Meon Post Office being downgraded to a part-time 'outreach' service, is calling on Mr Brown to listen to the people.

"Gordon Brown needs to listen to the people who have signed this petition and realise that post office closures mean that many, often vulnerable, people are denied access to post office services or face long journeys and long queues in other post offices," Liz said.

"The Lib Dem team in Meon Valley ran a very popular campaign to save our post offices, yet it has all been shoved back in our faces - though we will simply not relent on our push to save West Meon Post Office being slashed to an 'outreach' service."

Liz added: "Once again the Labour Government is cutting local services for short-term savings while ignoring the long term damage to our country, our people and our traditional way of life."

The Liberal Democrats are the only party with a plan to protect and improve Britain's Post Office Network.

Notes to Editors

Sarah Teather MP presented the petition along with Cllr Paul Scrivens (Lib Dem Council Group Leader in Sheffield), Brian Paddick (Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London), Jenny Randerson AM (Cardiff Central Welsh Assembly Member), Cllr Colin Eldridge (Lib Dem cabinet member in Liverpool), Munira Hassam (Lib Dem PPC for Feltham and Hayes) and many other Liberal Democrat MPs.

The Liberal Democrats launched a nationwide petition against Labour's post office closures in Autumn 2007. These are the first batch of signatures to be presented. Many other "save our post offices petitions" from around Britain will also be presented in the coming weeks.