Forum Topic

Anne Keen cannot be trusted to oppose Post Office closures

Ann Keeen has claimed that she is opposed to closure of post offices in her constituency in the same way as she claims she is opposed to the Third Runaway and Heathrow Expansion.However, when the matter was put to a vote last night in the House of Commons, Ann Keen abstained and did not vote for or against the Conservative motion to keep the post offices only. By abtaining and not voting for the motion, Ann Keen effectively has voted for shutting the 3 post offices in her constituency threatened with closure by the Labour Government of which she is a member. She also reneged on Labour's manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on the new EU Constitution.She just cannot be trusted. She says one thing and then votes another way.

David Giles ● 6338d19 Comments

I am all in favour of modernisation and efficiency. We live in an IT age.However by taking away many of the functions prevously performed by local post-offices the Government has undermined the viability of quite a few branches.

David Giles ● 6330d

TrueBut the Govt has transfered services such as the cashing of money etc to save money. Whats wrong with that.

Neil Chippendale ● 6331d

Very good points made by Mr Giles

Steve Taylor ● 6332d

We all have had bad experiences in Post Offices. However in my experience the small sub-post offices tend to be better than the larger post-offices such as the one in Heathfield Terrace Chiswick, about which there are so many complaints.However, it is the smaller neighbourhood sub-post offices that the Government wants to shut.Over the last few years the Government has systematically run down the sub-post office network, transferring many of the services previously provided in sub-post offices elsewhere. It's therefore no wonder that running the network costs money.However without local post offices, people will have to travel to the larger ones by public transport or car or bike thus incurring time costs and actual costs.That's difficult for disabled or senior citizens and it's not good for the environment either. The local shops which are helped by having a post office nearby will suffer and more and more business will become concentrated in large national chains like WH Smith or Tesco.

David Giles ● 6332d

Absolutely Sarah - your experience is my experience

Steve Taylor ● 6335d

I wonder if anyone is looking at why such an important chain such as the Post Office, is failing?I find the experience of using ANY post office excruciating so I avoid going in to use them, if at all possible.The only time I go in is if I want to buy picture stamps, mainly for my Christmas cards.  When I do go in, there are an array of desks, mostly empty, and a huge queue.  The queue winds back and forward past itself giving you face to face and back to back close physical contact only matched on public transport in the rush hour - if one person sneezes the whole room goes down with flu.  Heaven help you if you are dodgy on your pins or dare to venture in with a wheel chair or low blood sugar.They appear to be sited in caves - when you peer in from the doorway you are facing into a room squeezed full of people with no natural light and no air.  One trip to Ealing main PO I knew something was up as the lady behind me started to ignore the basics of queue etiquette and started to move forward of me - closely - and I mean very closely - followed by somebody who had only seen water when caught outside in the rain.  Along with the steam coming off his coat, was a most pungent odour.  She apologised to me and I said I fully understood, and we all stepped back and allowed him to step ahead of us.  Should anyone wish to jump the queue in a post office then this could be the method to employ.I found the evolvement of Kingston main PO a real shame.  I haven't been in there recently (not even last Christmas) because it is not a place to go to 'shop' yet the twee little adverts on TV lead me to believe there is so much more to their services than my Christmas stamps.  Now, would anyone dare ask about other services when they win their place at the front of the queue?Kingston PO started off probably with planning permission to open the PO at the rear of the newsagents.  They installed large opening doors to give direct access to the rear area and PO and lots of natural light.  All good stuff for people with limited movement/wheelchairs/claustrophobia and even "PO phobia".  Within a short time the back doors were closed off and piled high with sealed containers of stock and you had to enter and exit through the one single front door after negotiating the aisles and people shopping in the aisles.Wonder why they are losing money, then?  :-(

Sarah Felstead ● 6335d

according to Sky News "a week"

Neil Chippendale ● 6335d

Are they losing £4 million a year or a week?

Steve Taylor ● 6336d

So if a the Post Offices are losing 4 million a year and a large number are unprofitable they should be keeped open if the community wants it. What would Maggie say.

Neil Chippendale ● 6336d

The Conservatives consider that the Government has failed to make the case for closing so many post offices and has not conducted a proper public consultation. This view is shared by the Liberal Democrats, the Nationalists, the 19 Labour MP's who voted with the Conservatives and the 90 Labour MP's who abtained.It is also apparently a view that is shared by Ann Keen MP, although, as usual, there seems to be some uncertainty about whether she has put her vote where her mouth is.The Post Office network as a whole is losing money but the closure of so many branches is not necessarily the solution.The social cost of closing local post offices and the views of local communities have to be taken into account.

David Giles ● 6336d

If  the Post Office side of the business is losing 4 Million pounds a week I wonder why the Tories are not supporting the closure of such a loss making enterprise?  Can anyone enlighten me?

Steve Taylor ● 6336d

The Post Office side of the business is losing 4 Million pounds a week according to the PO.I would have thought with such a loss making enterprise the Tories would have supported the closure.

Neil Chippendale ● 6337d

Why does the Government want to close the Post Offices?

Steve Taylor ● 6337d

Ann Keen in today's Hounslow and Brentford TimesCOMMONS BID TO HALT CLOSURES FAILSA Tory bid to halt the closures of sub-post offices failed in the Commons on Wednesday night.A vote to suspend the closures was narrowly defeated by 268 votes to 295. But Ann Keen will continue to campaign with residents against sub-post office closures.Ahead of this weeks vote in the Commons she said "I recognise that many people across the borough of Hounslow see access to their local post office as vital, particularly older members of our community"She said she has been working with the sub-post offices to form a petition and to gather as many signatures as possible."I have already received hundreds of signatures in support of keeping the post offices open. Once I have collected all these signatures I will make the case for Houslow post offices to Pat McFaddon,the minister at the Department for Business. Enterprise and Regulatory Reform"Well I have not met or heard from amyone who has seen this petition organised by her and she has had no contact whatsover with those campaigning to close the post office in Isleworth.Oh and by the way,after all that fine talk she voted for the Government anyway when it came to the vote on Wednesday night.

Paul Fisher ● 6337d

I believe Anne Keen holds a minor government post. If so I would not expect her to vote against the government, except in extreme circumstances where resignation was called for.Yet more posturing from Mr Giles, surprised Mr Fisher has joined him in this spin......

Iain Muir ● 6337d

The organisation that represents small and sub Post Offices are in favour of the closures so no support from the industry.

Neil Chippendale ● 6338d

The Daily Telegraph said Ann Keen abstained.No doubt clarification will follow !Here is the BBC's list of the 19 Labour MPs who voted on the Conservative motion calling for a halt to the closure of 2,500 post offices: Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington) Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) John Cummings (Easington) Andrew Dismore (Hendon) David Drew (Stroud) Frank Field (Birkenhead) - former MinisterPaul Flynn (Newport West) John Grogan (Selby) Kate Hoey (Vauxhall) - former MinisterKelvin Hopkins (Luton North) John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington) Eric Martlew (Carlisle) Alan Meale (Mansfield) Gordon Prentice (Pendle) Alan Simpson (Nottingham South) Geraldine Smith (Morecambe & Lunesdale) Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South) David Taylor (Leicestershire North West) Mike Wood (Batley & Spen) Independent Labour MP Robert Wareing (Liverpool West Derby) also voted with the Conservatives. There are 3 Crown Post Offices in the Houses of Parliament within a few hundred yards of each other !

David Giles ● 6338d

The Evening Standard reports that Ann Keen voted in favour of the closures and did not abstain.

Paul Fisher ● 6338d

Alan Keen actually voted in favour of the closures.I wonder what the trade unions which represent post office workers think of that ?

David Giles ● 6338d

She is a disgrace as an MP and who could possibly trust her now regarding Heathrow?

Paul Fisher ● 6338d