Contact: Peter Black on 029 20 898744 or 07774 256123

Release: 9 August 2002

Candidates unite to fight Post Office Closures

Five Welsh Liberal Democrat Prospective Candidates for South Wales West constituencies have joined together to pledge their support to a campaign to keep Post Offices and postal services in their area.

Local Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Peter Black, who has been selected as his party’s prospective candidate in Swansea East, joined with Mike Day (Swansea West), Nick Tregoning (Gower), Helen Ceri Jones (Neath) and Claire Waller (Aberavon) to express their opposition to plans to close up to 300 urban Post Offices in Wales. They are also concerned at plans to subject up to 60% of Post Office Services to competition, which could see the loss of a universal delivery service in some areas.

A Welsh Liberal Democrat petition opposing Post Office closures and the loss of postal services has now attracted over 7,000 signatures and is continuing to grow. The team of candidates have taken the petition to every Post Office counter in the region and are setting up stalls in shopping areas as well.

“This is a major campaign for the Welsh Liberal Democrats across the South Wales West region”, said Mr. Black. “The proposals by the UK Government to pay benefits and pensions straight into bank accounts has jeopardised the future of a large number of the 1350 Post Offices in Wales and could cost Post Office Counters network £430 million. Many sub-post offices could lose up to 40% of their income.”

“The fiasco of the postal trial in Llanelli where the Post Office sought to charge businesses £14 to receive their mail before 9am has shown how out of touch Consignia still is”, added Helen Ceri Jones. “There is a need for rationalisation to overcome the huge losses brought about by Consignia’s mismanagement, however, this sort of charging will not work. The new Labour Government need to abandon their plans to privatise postal deliveries and concentrate instead on getting Consignia back on its feet.”

END

N.B. Attached Photograph shows, left to right, Helen Ceri Jones (Neath), Claire Waller (Aberavon), Peter Black (Swansea East), Mike Day (Swansea West) and Nick Tregoning (Gower) posting off the latest signatures to Party HQ in London.