Labour's wrecking amendment ruins debate on Post Office Closures

Pictured below L to R Cllr Glyn Nightingale, Ian Swales Lib Dem PPC

for Redcar, Cllr Eric Empsom campaigning at Lazenby Post Office

under threat from Labour Government cuts.

Yesterday we proposed a motion calling on the Council to campaign against proposals to close four Post offices in the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland it read:

This Council notes with concern that the following Post Office branches are proposed for closure as part of the Post Office Area Plan:

Charltons, Charltons, Saltburn-By-The-Sea.
Moorsholm, 44 High Street, Moorsholm, Saltburn-by-the-Sea.
Lazenby, Lazenby Post Office, 23 High Street, Lazenby, Middlesbrough.
Park Avenue, Park Avenue, Redcar.

And resolves to campaign vigorously against the closure of these important local facilities and to send in objections to Adrian Wales, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, Freepost Consultation Team.

This Council further resolves to do all it can to assist in finding a suitable franchisee who is willing to take on a Post Office facility at Roseberry Shopping Centre, which is on the list of those to be retained by the Post Office.

Proposed by Councillor Chris Abbott
Seconded by Councillor Glynis Abbott

Unfortunately the debate was restricted to a very few minutes and the controlling Labour Group introduced a wrecking amendment which we could not support. This amendment was factually incorrect and deleted the important need to campaign for the restoration of the Post Office in the new Roseberry Shopping Centre at Redcar.

We had hoped the Council would be unanimous in supporting our motion but clearly the controlling Labour Group prefer to be mischievous and misleading rather than genuinely campaign against cuts their colleagues in the Labour Government have forced upon us all.