Staffs CF leads battle against Post Office closure - 04.04.08

Staffordshire Conservative Future's first Action Day took place on April 2nd, and saw an impressive turn out of members who joined Stafford parliamentary candidate Jeremy Lefroy's campaign against Labour's continued Post Office closures. With the news confirmed only that morning that three more Post Offices in the Stafford area have been marked for closure, CF members took to the street outside the Marston Road Post Office to collect signatures for the Conservative's national campaign to prevent the loss of any more of these valuable community assets. Staffs CF members, who had travelled from across the county to join the Action Day, collected signatures from local businesses, passers-by and customers of the Post Office.

The overwhelming view was that the Post Office, which was extremely busy all day, is indispensable to local residents, many of whom are elderly and are worried by the distance to the closest alternative Post Office in Stafford town centre. Local business owners voiced their concerns about the knock-on effect the branch's closure would have, and every one of the passing postmen spoken to expressed their concerns over possible redundancies. It is clear that local communities support the Conservative Party on this issue, and the sheer volume of signatories we have gained already demonstrates this.

The day was part of an series of events organised by Conservatives in Staffordshire calling for a halt to the Government's plan, and was followed up by a campaign day in Uttoxeter hosted by Burton & Uttoxeter CF, which was attended by PPC Andrew Griffiths and Staffs Area CF Chairman Matt Lewis, and petition signings at Stafford and Burton markets as well as several other protests outside the affected Post Offices. Again, in each instance the level of public support for our message was tremendous, and a large number of signatures were added to the campaign.

The petitions are due to be handed in to Downing Street, and we hope will certainly cause even this government to sit up and take notice!

Photo credit to Stafford Express and Star (top) and Geoff Morrison (bottom).

Published and promoted by Matthew Lewis of 46 Ironbridge Drive, Newcastle, ST5 6ER

© Matthew Lewis 2008