Camden New Journal - Letters: How governments is failing to deliver on our post offices

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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 31 May 2007

How government is failing to deliver on our post offices

• PEOPLE have been understandably alarmed at the Labour government’s decision to close a further 2,500 post offices. Hundreds of people in Camden have joined our campaign to save these vital resources.
Here in the Haverstock area we have already lost three of our four post offices over the past few years – in Belsize, Malden Road and on Haverstock Hill. We now have to rely on just one post office, at Queen’s Crescent.
Post offices are a vital part of our community, particularly for pensioners and those with young families.
It would be completely unacceptable for further post offices in this area to be closed.
Labour ministers could reassure local people by publishing the list of post offices they have earmarked for closure. We have a right to know if our post office is at risk. I am calling on the Labour government to protect our local post office in Queen’s Crescent, and to reopen those at Haverstock Hill and Belsize Grove.
I very much hope that those who care about this issue as much as I do will come along to Queen’s Crescent on Saturday to sign our petition.
MATT SANDERS
Prospective Liberal Democrat candidate, Haverstock ward
Address supplied

• THE option of paying bills at the post office is no longer listed by British Gas. However, on checking, the post office still accepts payment. Many, particularly pensioners, will think that they must pay by other means, costing the PO some income.
Recently the government announced the closure of 2,500 post offices in the next three years as being “uneconomic”.
The postal service has lost contracts to commercial companies such as TNT under new competition rules introduced last year.
All of which further threatens the present affordable national network.
There is a plaque in Cartwright Gardens (off Euston Road) to the pioneer of the Penny Post, Rowland Hill.
The unified delivery service nationwide at a standard cost is threatened by the competition rules which were put in place last year.
This government seems determined to destroy these services.
Its failure to allocate promised funding for municipal housing repairs cost the Labour party its control at Camden Town Hall, which it had exercised for 35 years.
Perhaps under a new national leader, Labour may recover its social conscience to convince people to return it to Government yet again. More likely not.
You can fool some of the people some of the time, but Mr Blair realises that, so has handed in his notice.
SKIP MURPHY
Prince of Wales Road
NW1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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