Nick Ainger's 'Hypocrisy' Over Post Office Closures

: Conservative Parliamentary candidate Simon Hart is pictured last year with local campaigners trying to save Lawrenny Post Office.

by ORR

March 22, 2008

Nick Ainger MP has been accused of rank hypocrisy after voting for post office closures - just months after campaigning to keep local branches open.

Mr Ainger voted against a Commons motion last Wednesday (March 19th) which called for post office closures to be suspended.

The Conservative motion wanted to call a halt to a Government 'review' of post offices which is expected to see 2,500 branches close (news).

Pembrokeshire will hear which branches it will lose on June 3rd.

Simon Hart, Conservative Parliamentary candidate for South Pembrokeshire said: “Mr Ainger campaigned to save Lawrenny Post Office and yet he failed to stand up to his own Government when it came to the crunch.

"He is either guilty of hypocrisy or weakness when it comes to putting the interests of Pembrokeshire before those of the Government.

"Mr Ainger told the local press in 2002 that the introduction of paying benefits via a bank account, not the post office, would not result in branches closing. And yet the new proposals will have a devastating effect on post offices, particularly rural ones.

"We have already seen 282 branches close in the last six years in Wales."

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