GOVERNMENT FAILS TO LISTEN ON POST OFFICES, SAYS JENNY RANDERSON

3.32.42pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th May 2007

Welsh Liberal Democrats have hit out at the government's failure to listen to the concerns of people in Cardiff over post office closures. The Government announced today that they will continue with their plan to close at least 2,500 post offices across the country.

Welsh Liberal Democrats have been campaigning against post office closures in Cardiff Central and are today stepping up the fight against the Government's plans.

The Government have not published the list of post offices to be closed, but with one in five post offices nationwide set to shut it is unlikely that Cardiff will escape.

Jenny Randerson, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Cardiff Central, said,

"It is outrageous that the Government have ignored the concerns of local people and are continuing with their plan to close at least 2,500 post offices. That means we could lose yet more post offices here in Cardiff.

"Along with many local people, I have been campaigning against the Government's post office closure plans and will now be stepping up the fight once again.

"25 Post Offices have closed in Cardiff since 2002. We cannot afford see more of these valuable local resources closed.

"If, instead of initiating a further round of cuts, the Government were to adopt Liberal Democrats' plans for the Post Office then they would be able to invest an additional £2 billion in the network and safeguard the future of local post offices for years to come.

"The Conservatives have nothing to offer our post offices. Only the Liberal Democrats have a fully-funded plan to save the post office."

Notes to Editors:

For further information on the Lib Dem plan to save the post office network see http://www.libdems.org.uk/commerce/issues/postoffice.html.