400 sign Lib Dem Highbury post office petition (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

400 sign Lib Dem Highbury post office petition

April 16, 2008 3:10 PM

Meral and Laura with Post Office staff. Four hundred Highbury residents have signed the Liberal Democrat petition protesting against the closure of the post office at 149 Blackstock Road.

Post Office Ltd announced the proposed closure of the sub-post office as part of the Labour government's 'Network Change' programme which plans to reduce the network by 2,500. This would be in addition to the other 4,000 post offices that have closed since the Labour government came to power in 1997.

Highbury Liberal Democrats immediately launched a petition against the planned closure with copies in all the local shops in Blackstock Road. A leaflet with a petition has also gone out across Highbury East with petitions flooding back.

Local Liberal Democrat councillor for Highbury East, Laura Willoughby, said:

"The message from Highbury residents about the Labour government's move to close our post office is loud and clear - don't do it.

"Labour have refused to listen to local residents up to now on post offices - Islington has seen ten close over the years. Now they have even refused to change their minds when they voted in Parliament on March 19th against suspending the closure programme.

Laura and Meral at Blackstock Road Post Office "Liberal Democrats are fighting this closure tooth-and-nail. If it does go ahead it will be as a direct result of the Labour government."

Islington has already lost 10 post offices - at Old Street, Amwell Street, Copenhagen Street, Westbourne Road, St Peter Street, Southgate Road, Holloway Road, Hornsey Road, Junction Road and Archway Road. In addition, there are another four sub-post offices threatened with closure in the neighbouring boroughs of Hackney and Haringey - at Murray Grove, Stoke Newington Road, Wilton Way and Ferne Park Road.