Brown branded a hypocrite over Post Office crisis

[jemima]

From the Cambridge News

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news ... ?id=303493

"Brown branded a hypocrite over crisis

CAMBRIDGESHIRE MPs have accused Gordon Brown of hypocrisy after he declared decisions on post office closures were "not a matter for Government".

The Prime Minister told the News the final say on branches lay with the Royal Mail, not the Government.

Gordon Brown has been accused of hypocrisy over plans for Post Office closures.But Andrew Lansley, MP for Cambridgeshire South, said: "It is absolute hypocrisy to say that local post office closures are nothing to do with the Government, which has set out the closure programme."

Sir Peter Brown, portfolio holder for communities on Cambridgeshire County Council, said Mr Brown's stance showed a failure to understand the needs of rural areas like Cambridgeshire.

But he admitted that financial restrictions meant it was "unlikely" the council would follow Essex County Council and bid to take over post offices earmarked for closure.

The News has launched a campaign to save our post offices. Concerned readers should sign our petition on our website at www.cambridge-news.co.uk It urges the Government to retain post offices across Mid-Anglia where they are needed. The petition already has 684 signatures.

The Government announced in 2006 that 2,500 of the country's 14,000 post offices were expected to close. Cambridgeshire branches will learn their fate in July, but there are already fears that up to 70 could go.

Eight branches in West Suffolk are facing the axe.

The closures are aimed at stemming network losses put at £4 million a week.

Speaking to the News, the Prime Minister stressed that an appeal procedure ensured any viable local post offices could be saved, but that the decision was ultimately down to Post Office bosses.

Mr Brown said: "So far, 12 per cent of the proposed closures have been rejected after appeal. There is a lengthy appeal procedure which goes all the way up to Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton.

"It is not the Government which decides which post offices close. It is not a matter for us or Postal Minister Pat McFadden."

He added: "The National Association of Sub-Postmasters have admitted that there need to be closures of up to 2,500 branches to ensure the remaining network of 11,500 remain. Some have just 16 customers a week - that is not sustainable."

Mr Brown said the Government would pump £1.7 billion into the revised network to ensure it remained viable and promised public consultation before any closures were made.

He added: "We do not have a target for post office closures. We are not saying that if one post office stays open, another one closes.

"Pat McFadden is happy to meet any MP about local post office closure plans, but it is not a matter for him or for Government."

But Mr Lansley said: "What is clear is that the Government is in the lead of this. Gordon Brown cannot say he has no responsibility for closures of post offices in Cambridgeshire.

"What colleagues who have appealed against local branch closures tell me is that the Post Office then asks 'which other post office are we going to close instead?'" Jim Paice, MP for Cambridgeshire South East, said: "It is another absolutely typical 'not me guv' trick by Gordon Brown and the Government.

"They have said how many post offices must close and cannot say that the decisions are nothing to do with them."

Sir Peter told the News that post offices "provided the lifeblood" for rural communities and elderly people.

He said: "The Post Office has been told by Government what they have got to do. It is quite clear that Gordon Brown does not understand the needs of a predominantly rural area like Cambridgeshire."

Sir Peter added that Cambridgeshire County Council had worked with a campaign group of post office users to submit a report to Royal Mail on the role of branches in rural and deprived areas.

But he conceded that an Essex-style council bid for threatened branches was unlikely.

He said: "Essex is a much richer county council than Cambridgeshire. The best way we can go is to keep on with our very strong campaign."

Our petition against the proposed closures continues to gather pace. At Oakington sub-post office, around 50 customers have signed up.

Sub-postmistress Raj Sanghera said:

"Customers are worried about whether they are going to lose their post office or not.

"We do not know how they (Royal Mail) will do it. Until they come and assess us, we are under threat. You could be the one that is going to go, and you don't know.

"The post office is an important part of the village. A lot of elderly people, who might not drive, pay their bills here.

"If Histon stays open they could go there, but they would have to find a way to get there."

Mr SJ Hicks, of Foster Road, Trumpington, wrote to the News to say how much he relied on his local post office.

The 83-year-old widower picks up his pension and work-related injury payment at his local branch each week, as well as paying all his bills there.

He said: "I am like the rest of most of us older ones, who have no bank or savings."

K Gardner, of Bahram Close, Newmarket, also wrote to us, saying: "Why, if post offices are running at a loss, are they spending thousands of pounds on TV adverts and having the cheek to call it 'The People's Post Office'? That's the last thing it is."

[DirtyHarry]

You know, jemima, I've never hated any Labour leader, except Blair and brown, and I've lived under 'em all from Harold Wilson down, but I detest,
the last two we've been lumbered with, with a passion I find quite worrying, as it's on a par with my detestation of all things middle class,
David Camerot, the aristocracy, David Camerot, the Tories, all of 'em without exception, and last but not least, that upper class pratt, David Camerot.

[DGP1]

You know, jemima, I've never hated any Labour leader, except Blair and brown, and I've lived under 'em all from Harold Wilson down, but I detest,
the last two we've been lumbered with, with a passion I find quite worrying, as it's on a par with my detestation of all things middle class,
David Camerot, the aristocracy, David Camerot, the Tories, all of 'em without exception, and last but not least, that upper class pratt, David Camerot.

Not like Cameron then

[DirtyHarry]

You know, jemima, I've never hated any Labour leader, except Blair and brown, and I've lived under 'em all from Harold Wilson down, but I detest,
the last two we've been lumbered with, with a passion I find quite worrying, as it's on a par with my detestation of all things middle class,
David Camerot, the aristocracy, David Camerot, the Tories, all of 'em without exception, and last but not least, that upper class pratt, David Camerot.

Not like Cameron then

Cannot stand him, mate. I try to conceal this as best I can, but sometimes it just slips out, as the bishop said to the actress.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Cameron is just a more feminine version of Thatcher IMHO.

[DGP1]

Cameron is just a more feminine version of Thatcher IMHO.

[DirtyHarry]

Cameron is just a more feminine version of Thatcher IMHO.

That's him down to a T, teebs T for Thatcher.

[norbert]

Cameron is just a more feminine version of Thatcher IMHO.

The word about Brown from some MP's on parliamentary committees is that he doesn't know which way to jump , he hasn't got a clue about what is going on in the country , he's absolutely no control over his ministers , some are running amok as a result , hence some things even Thatcher's cabinet would have never considered .

There's no ideology , no power of personalty , if you met him he'd seem superficially charming but being this intellectual type it simply doesn't come over especially in this personalty & media age .

Don't get me wrong they are Neo-Liberal but the likes of Lord Snooty are even worse and are all about shafting people, bit like L&C and their managers !