Stourport Politicians back office campaign

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LEADING figures across the political spectrum have pledged their support to a campaign against any planned closure of the Stourport Delivery Office.

They have thrown their weight behind the Save our Stourport Delivery Office campaign, launched by furious workers who fear the office is going to be closed down and all staff based in Kidderminster.

Their claims have been denied by a spokesman for the postal company, however, who said, at present, there were still no firm plans for the delivery office.

Despite this, politicians, including Wyre Forest MP, Dr Richard Taylor, have backed the campaign launched at the Wheatsheaf pub on Wednesday last week.

Dr Taylor has already written to the chief executive of Royal Mail for details of the costs of any potential move and confirmation that Royal Mail customers would not be affected.

He also met representatives of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.

“As serious concerns about this proposal have been raised directly with me and Health Concern councillors, I have written, again, to the chief executive, asking for a response to my first letter,” said Dr Taylor, who has also met senior post office management. “If answers to my questions are unobtainable or unsatisfactory, I will help local people and their elected councillors, businesses and staff in fighting the proposals.”

Conservatives have also pledged their support to the campaign.

Mark Garnier, the Tories’ prospective Parliamentary candidate, said: “We should be bringing more resources to the town, not taking them away. We should be making the town more attractive to attract businesses and employment; not running it down.”

On a candidate blog on The Shuttle website, Nigel Knowles, Labour’s Parliamentary hopeful for Wyre Forest, said Labour Party officers would contact the relevant Government Minister and trade union secretaries to give support to the campaign.

He added: “It is important that Stourport businesses and the local community retain their local postal depot.”

Dave Jones, political officer for the Wolverhampton and district branch of CWU, told The Shuttle he was pleased with the support following the campaign launch.

He added that more than 600 people had joined a Facebook group, called Save Stourport Royal Mail Delivery Office.

“We feel it’s getting the full backing of the community,” he said, “The fact that we’ve got more than 600 names is phenomenal.”

People can sign the e-petition to Downing Street by logging on to petitions.number10.gov.uk