Save our post offices

THIRTY PEOPLE turned up on a wet Tuesday afternoon to a protest, organised by Leicester Socialist Party, against local post office closures. At Guthridge Crescent post office in Braunstone estate, we delivered a giant envelope containing hundreds of letters of protest, two days before the Post Office's consultation deadline.

Steve Score, Leicester Socialist Party

Our protest was organised at very short notice, so many couldn't attend because they were at work, but it was a success.

The Leicester Mercury turned up to photograph us. Local people, some arriving with home-made placards, said it was crazy to close Guthridge Crescent post office since it is across the road from the local housing office where people have to go to pay their rent and council tax.

Local campaigner Andrew Walton said: "Since the announce-ment of 30 post office closures in the county, Leicester Socialist Party have held regular street stalls to give members of the public a chance to voice their anger against the Post Office's 'consultation exercise'.

"It has been difficult for us to organise as this coincided with the Christmas period, but we have collected 1,000 signatures on our petition and 220 letters of protest. The response was overwhelming, with unanimous anger at the loss of vital public services, which will disadvantage the most vulnerable in our society - those without transport, the elderly and disabled.

"The Socialist Party has campaigned consistently against cuts to services and against the privatisation of our public services. We have supported post workers on picket lines who have gone on strike for a decent living wage. This is in contrast to New Labour, who while their MPs may claim to be against post office closures, are still members of the government that is cutting back and selling off our postal service.

"There is a burning need to link together all the local campaigns against closure regionally and nationally to fight the government's national policy of 2,500 post office closures."