Walthamstow Lib Dems Attack 'Opportunistic' Campaign Over Post Office Closures

11.48.50am GMT Fri 14th Mar 2008

"I'm sure that residents will see this sudden two-faced scramble to act as a champion for our most vulnerable residents as little more than a cynical act of political chicanery."

Walthamstow Liberal Democrats have launched a stinging attack on Labour parliamentary candidate Stella Creasy, accusing her of "two-faced opportunism" over local post office closures.

The Labour parliamentary candidate has attempted to position herself at the centre of efforts to save the three Walthamstow post offices threatened with closure. However, local Liberal Democrats have revealed that during her time as councillor for Walthamstow's Lea Bridge ward she attempted to vote down a Lib Dem motion to Full Council that called on the Council to oppose the government's closure programme.

The angry reaction by local Lib Dems comes as they prepare to present a further motion to Full Council that calls on councillors from all sides to state their opposition to post office closures.

Cllr Bob Carey, whose Chapel End ward could see two branches axed, said:

"It is galling but somewhat predictable that Ms Creasy has jumped on the bandwagon with regards to these closures.

"Unfortunately for her, people have longer memories than she may give them credit for. As a councillor 5 years ago, she attempted to remove a clause from a Liberal Democrat motion that expressed concern about both the effect of proposed post office closures on the vulnerable and elderly and the distance that they would be forced to travel in order to access vital services.

"This snub to residents was carried out whilst offering no alternative means of keeping services open. How does she propose to stop the post office closure programme?

"Now resident outcry about these Government closures has reached a crescendo, we hear her become one of those rushing to repeat these very real concerns as parrot-like political platitudes.

"I'm sure that residents will see this sudden two-faced scramble to act as a champion for our most vulnerable residents as little more than a cynical act of political chicanery.

Cllr Carey, who will introduce the Liberal Democrat motion before Full Council, warned that opposition to the six immediate proposed closures in Waltham Forest was only the beginning of the work that needed to be undertaken by local campaigners.

"We welcome the action that Council has taken as a result of our mandate. However, Post Office representatives confirmed to Council scrutiny just this week that even if we are successful in saving one of the six branches immediately under threat, this would more than likely mean that another local branch would face the axe in order to meet the required quota of Government closures.

"We expect both Labour and Conservative councillors to support the Liberal Democrat motion this Thursday and come out strongly against the Government's closure programme on our residents behalf."