TORY HYPOCRISY ON POST OFFICES CLOSURES CONDEMNED

Kent Labour has condemned the Conservative Party's latest political campaign to prevent post office closures as "hypocritical" and "unhelpful".

Mike Eddy, (Deal), Labour Shadow Leader on Kent County Council, says:

"The Post Office faces competition from private operators and from electronic means of doing business, all changes which have been supported by the Conservatives nationally and in Kent. The Conservatives claim that they understand business and that they are against higher taxes, yet their latest campaign is based on the hypocritical view that the taxpayer should continue to subsidise the Post Office at a level of up to £17 per transaction."

Mike Eddy adds:

"The Tories in Kent claim that they are campaigning on behalf of the vulnerable yet they have increased home care charges for our most vulnerable by up to £15 per week."

At today's KCC Cabinet meeting, Gary Herbert on behalf of the Post Office outlined the need for change.

Roger Truelove (Swale Central), Shadow Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Highways, says:

"Naturally, Labour is concerned about the impact of closures but unlike the Tory Cabinet, we are not prepared to condemn a process before we know the details.

"There does have to be concern about taxpayers continually being asked to sustain Post Offices which are clearly uneconomic and sometimes of marginal social significance.

"We note that the Post Office will be setting clear access criteria and that the Government is investing £1.7 billion in the restructuring process and that deprived areas will have a less than 1 mile radius for access."