Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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MP and local councillors hand in petition to Downing Street opposing local post office closures
Local MP Norman Baker today went to 10 Downing Street with local Councillors, Patricia Bennett, Pat Ost, Jon Freeman, David Gray and Andy Watkins to hand in a petition signed by thousands of local people and a letter to Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, opposing the Government’s plans to close post offices in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and surrounding villages.
The petition handed in today contained thousands of signatures from local people opposing the proposals to close 7 branches in the Lewes constituency. The sub-post offices threatened include units in Landport, Lewes; Fairways and Claremont Road, Seaford; Denton, Newhaven; Wannock and Upper Dicker.
Earlier this month, Mr Baker also met with senior officials at both the Post Office and Royal Mail in an attempt to stop the proposed closures going ahead. Confidential statistical information shared with the MP at this meeting showed that the branches at Landport, Denton and Claremont Road, in particular, are much-used by the local community and performing well.
Commenting, Norman said:
"I am appalled that so many local post office branches are facing closure and am pleased to have been able to go to Downing Street with local councillors to hand in this petition and represent the views of local people.
"Local post offices are an essential part of the fabric of a community and are particularly valued by elderly people many of whom find it difficult to make the journey to a main post office in a town centre and also appreciate a friendly, local contact point. What is more, the confidential information that I saw in my meeting with the Post Office earlier this month shows that many of these sub-post offices are doing well. This only further reinforces my view that the programme of closures is designed to meet arbitrary government targets for cuts, rather than following any sensible assessment of the network.
"The fact that thousands of my constituents have already this signed my petition to keep these local post offices open shows the strength of local feeling on this issue. Unlike the Government, local people understand that closing a local post office removes a keystone from the community. This is why I am determined to do all I can to save these threatened offices and I will continue to put pressure on the Government to see sense on the matter."