Paul Murphy - More Labour hypocrisy over Post Office closures

Welsh Secretary, Paul Murphy, has again been criticised for being part of a Government which is closing Post Offices – while campaigning to save branches in his own constituency. Here is Ian Parri's (Daily Post writer) take on it...

Talking of post offices, it didn't suprise me to see hypocritical MPs who've been been campaigning to save brances in their own constituencies trooping sheepishly into the government lobbies to give the wholesale closure plans their seal of approval.

Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy, who was sufficiently perturbed by this week's stem cells row to threaten his resignation, was among them.

He's actually been along to Pontnewynydd post office in his Torfaen consistuency to lend his support to postmaster Chirav Dalal's attempts to keep the service open.

Mr Murphy urged locals to write to the Post Office to express their views. I assume he understood it was highly unlikely anybody would be doing so to support the branch's closure.

Mr Murphy said: "I understand how important it is for the Post Office to survive as a business. However, when they propose to close local post offices, they really have to take into account important local issues."

See also: 'Nimby' Murphy under fire in PO row

Labour hypocrisy over Post Office closures!

With thanks to the Daily Post, here's a full list of the Labour MPs in North Wales who approved the Government's wholesale Post Office closure plans - despite some of them publicly declaring their opposition and simultaneously campaigning to keep them open in their own consistencies. Welsh Secretary, Paul Murphy, was among them.

A reader of the Daily Post (Mar 25, 2008, see below) summed it very well: "These Labours MPs have obviously been threatened with a slap on the wrists if they defied the party whip - none of them had the guts to stand up for their communities. I hope people will remember this at election time."











Martyn Jones (above) - Labour, Clwyd South. Approved Post Office closure plans. Publicly stated he opposed the closures.











Albert Owen (above) - Labour, Ynys Môn. Abstained from voting(!). Publicly stated he opposed the closures.











Betty Williams (above) - Labour, Conwy. Approved Post Office closure plans.











Chris Ruane (above) - Labour, Vale of Clwyd. Approved Post Office closure plans.











David Hanson (above) - Labour, Vale of Clwyd. Approved Post Office closure plans.

All the other MPs in North Wales voted against the closure plans. These were:

Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid Cymru Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru, Caernarfon
David Jones, Conservative Clwyd West
Mark Williams, Lib Dem Ceredigion

Letters from the Daily Post

Double Standards on PO closures

I refer to the recent article entitled "Cash Threat to Ex-Postmasters". (Daily Post, March 18). Included within the article were pictures of two North Wales Labour MPs who have publicly stated that they are opposed to the Government's Post Office closure programme, namely Martyn Jones for Clwyd South and Albert Owen for Ynys Môn.

The following day a motion to suspend the closure programme was put before the House of Commons.

If successful, the motion would have provided much needed time to examine further options of sustaining our vital post office network.

Sadly the motion was defeated. And which way did our two so-called Labour champions vote? Martyn Jones voted with the Government to support the closure programme whilst Albert Owen sat on the fence and abstained!

How on earth can we expect the public to trust politicians when we witness such blatant double standards?

Dylan Rees, Plaid Cymru, Parliamentary Candidate, Ynys Môn


Vital Service

How disgraceful that North Wales Labour MPs refused to support a motion calling for a halt to proposed Post Office closures in North Wales.

Despite petitions, campaigns, and public outcry the voice of the people has once again been ignored. So much for Labour being the party of the people!

This government can find billions of pounds of public money for illegal foreign wars and to bail out private companies like Northern Rock, yet cannot properly fund these vital community services which form an essential part of rural life in Wales, together with local schools and libraries.

This government has raised taxes (and their own pay!) more than any other government and should be helping local communities and the needs of our pensioners before wasting our money on illegal wars thousands of miles away.

These Labours MPs have obviously been threatened with a slap on the wrists if they defied the party whip - none of them had the guts to stand up for their communities.

I hope people will remember this at election time.

G Shepherd, Llanfairfechan