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