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A bit late for MP to enlist in campaign to save post office
• I suppose one should be grateful that our MP, Emily Thornberry, has at last noticed the threat to Essex Road post office (PO boss urged: Join the 45-minute queue, January 18).
Living very close by and using Essex Road post office frequently, I must take issue with the claims by the Royal Mail and the government that the Essex Road branch and other branches are insufficiently used. The Essex Road post office is always full of people and is of great importance to the community. Any decision to close it is surely misguided, especially in view of the massive salary that the head of Royal Mail receives (close to £1 million).
As a local resident I am keen that it remains open. I have therefore followed the campaign with some interest. Last spring I signed the petition organised by Bridget Fox opposing the closure.
Since then Ms Fox and her Lib Dem team have organised local shops and raised awareness among community groups and residents. During the whole of this period Ms Thornberry has been absolutely silent on the subject, probably for fear of wrecking her promotion chances.
I was therefore greatly surprised to receive a Labour Party leaflet this week which launched a petition and knocked the Lib Dems. As our MP, surely Ms Thornberry’s role should have been to lobby her friends in government and safeguard the future of our post office.
Indeed, the threatened closure would not be happening at all if Labour MPs, including Ms Thornberry, had opposed the plans to reduce the Post Office network in the first place. She should have been fighting for the interests of ordinary people in Islington, instead of now playing catch-up and duplicating Ms Fox’s campaign a whole year after it was launched.
Surely Ms Thornberry could have woken up a little earlier to the threat to our post office and our community. Personally, I would have more respect for her now if she signed Ms Fox’s petition, instead of starting her own rival “me too” campaign. Doesn’t she have any initiatives of her own?
Still, I suppose the Essex Road post office should be happy for any support it can get, even if Ms Thornberry’s contribution is a little late in the day.
It must be election time soon.
DAVID SANT
Rotherfield Street, N1
• THANK you to the Tribune for reporting the plan to close Essex Road post office.
I have had to use the Upper Street branch twice recently, and each time I’ve had to join the queue on the pavement outside and wait for half an hour to be served.
I’m disappointed that Emily Thornberry voted in favour of closing other Islington post offices, destroying our local communities and making us all travel further and wait longer to send our mail.
For many people there is no bus that will take them to Upper Street so goodness knows how elderly and disabled people manage. Essex Road post office has disabled parking, a ramp and plenty of buses serving it.
The Labour government has done us a disservice in allowing so many small post offices to close. I am pleased that Bridget Fox is organising a petition against the closure of the Essex Road branch.
I hope readers will sign it and support the campaign to keep this post office open.
BETTY HARRIS
Duncan Terrace, N1
• I would have liked the Post Office to have bought the premises it occupies in Essex Road when the freehold went up for sale last year.
We were disappointed when, unlike more than 100 other traders in a similar position, it decided not to take this opportunity to own the bricks and mortar, and secure a permanent base in our borough.
Now it has revealed its plans to close this popular branch the reason behind its reluctance is all too clear. Our decision to sell the freehold didn’t affect its lease, or its right to occupy the building, but it looks suspiciously like it had already made up its mind to shut up shop.
To suggest that its decision to axe one branch at Essex Road is linked to us selling the freehold is not only nonsense, it’s using smoke and mirrors to detract from a much bigger issue.
I want to reassure residents that we are with you fighting any attempt to close any more of our existing branches. I’m glad the Tribune is raising awareness of the Post Office’s proposal to close the post office in Essex Road, but your article last week didn’t tell the whole story.
This is not the only branch under threat in Islington. Last year the government and the Post Office announced plans to trim the national network of branches. As part of this cull, next month Post Office will launch a consultation in Islington, which will determine the future of all our branches.
When we first raised the alarm about the government’s plan last year, hundreds of residents wrote to us to show their support for our campaign to save Islington’s post offices.
With their backing, we will take our campaign to Downing Street, and lobby the government to keep Islington’s post offices open. We will be launching an online petition on our website – www.islington.gov.uk – in the next few weeks. I’d urge as many of you as possible to sign up and help save this important service. We’ll keep you posted on progress.
Cllr JAMES KEMPTON
Lib Dem leader, Islington Council
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