RYEDALE MP John Greenway has said that if 20 more Labour MPs had had the courage to vote with the Conservatives post office closures could have been stopped.
The Tories proposed a Parliamentary motion which would have suspended the closures, but were relying on MPs from other parties to support the proposal.
In the end the motion was defeated by 20 votes.
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Mr Greenway said: "This was a chance to register a protest at the number of closures and the hypocrisy of ministers campaigning against closures in their own constituencies.
"I just think it's a real tragedy that 20 more MPs did not have the courage to go through the lobby as then the Government would have had to do something."
Selby Labour MP John Grogan did vote with the Conservatives, saying that he voted with his conscience.
He said the policy of closing post officers had begun under Margaret Thatcher, but it did not mean it was right that Labour carried on closing them. Mr Grogan said: "Just as I opposed previous post office closures, I opposed these and everyone has to make their own decision how to vote in Parliament. I felt this was the most appropriate way to demonstrate to my party how unhappy I am with the post office closure policy."
But York Labour MP Hugh Bayley refused to vote against his party despite speaking out against the closures, supporting moves to keep local post offices open and helping to deliver The Press's 6,000-name petition against closures to Downing Street.
He claimed the Conservative proposal would have resulted in less money being pumped into the system and more post offices facing the axe.
He said: "If the Conservative policy had been passed far more post offices would have been closed as the Labour Government has approved a £1.7 billion subsidy to the Post Office. The Conservatives criticised the Government, but made no mention of subsidy."
Posted by: MichaelRutherford, York on 10:03am Fri 21 Mar 08
Hugh Bayley should be ashamed, you're either for post office closures or against.
Bayley has voted in Parliament for the Post Office closures but no doubt like dozens of other Labour MPs will be claiming they weren't in favour.
When we see our post offices closing, we know who is to blame.
Hugh Bayley should be ashamed, you're either for post office closures or against.
Bayley has voted in Parliament for the Post Office closures but no doubt like dozens of other Labour MPs will be claiming they weren't in favour.
When we see our post offices closing, we know who is to blame.
Posted by: TW, Wrong Planet on 10:12am Fri 21 Mar 08
The NuLab party do not care in the least what happens in this country anymore. Those at the top have probably secured their job at the Soviet EUnion for getting the Lisbon Treaty through. They know that come the next election the government of this country will be as politically potent as our monarch.
The NuLab party do not care in the least what happens in this country anymore. Those at the top have probably secured their job at the Soviet EUnion for getting the Lisbon Treaty through. They know that come the next election the government of this country will be as politically potent as our monarch.
I agree - Hugh Bayley should be ashamed - he goes to demonstrations against post office closures but is too afraid to open his mouth when it counts. When its election time, you all know what to do
I agree - Hugh Bayley should be ashamed - he goes to demonstrations against post office closures but is too afraid to open his mouth when it counts. When its election time, you all know what to do
Posted by: avidreader, York on 12:04pm Fri 21 Mar 08
I think this proves what a liar and hypocrite Hugh Bayley really is. How can he demonstrate against closures but not prove his actions are genuine by voting to save them? I think its time for him to go, I for one will do my bit to see the back of him at election time.
I think this proves what a liar and hypocrite Hugh Bayley really is. How can he demonstrate against closures but not prove his actions are genuine by voting to save them? I think its time for him to go, I for one will do my bit to see the back of him at election time.
Posted by: TW, Wrong Planet on 12:13pm Fri 21 Mar 08
To all who have and will post their disgust at this man who claims to represent us - email him and tell him (I already have)
Contact details can be found at
www.hughbayley.labou
r.co.uk
To all who have and will post their disgust at this man who claims to represent us - email him and tell him (I already have)
Contact details can be found at
www.hughbayley.labou
r.co.uk
An organisation like the Post office can never really hope to make a profit. It has got to be accepted that there must be some element of social service in its activities. In a year or so time there will be another round of closures to "make the business profitable", because the volumn of core business, is and will continue to reduce, with all the other competition. How did it survive for 150 years as it was, if it was not doing something right then?
The only answer is to change it back to how it was in the good old days.
An organisation like the Post office can never really hope to make a profit. It has got to be accepted that there must be some element of social service in its activities. In a year or so time there will be another round of closures to "make the business profitable", because the volumn of core business, is and will continue to reduce, with all the other competition. How did it survive for 150 years as it was, if it was not doing something right then?
The only answer is to change it back to how it was in the good old days.
Hugh Bayley will not vote against the Government. He is in a safe Labour seat and probably sees himself progressing within the party - as such he doesn't want to ruin his chances of promotion by voting against the Government.
Hugh Bayley will not vote against the Government. He is in a safe Labour seat and probably sees himself progressing within the party - as such he doesn't want to ruin his chances of promotion by voting against the Government.
[quote]Hugh Bayley will not vote against the Government. He is in a safe Labour seat and probably sees himself progressing within the party - as such he doesn't want to ruin his chances of promotion by voting against the Government.[/quote]
This why Hugely Boring Bayley is a waste of a vote and should be thrown out at the next general election.
Hugh Bayley will not vote against the Government. He is in a safe Labour seat and probably sees himself progressing within the party - as such he doesn't want to ruin his chances of promotion by voting against the Government.
This why Hugely Boring Bayley is a waste of a vote and should be thrown out at the next general election.
Posted by: petethefeet, York on 8:24pm Fri 21 Mar 08
I think most commentators are following the shepherd here. The fact is, that as it stands, the traditional business of the Post Offices has been dying a slow death. Very few people collect their pensions on Thursdays now. More-and-more establishments won't accept postal orders. Very few people send letters now, instead they phone, or send texts/emails. Why the P.O. sold Giro I don't know but they seemed intent on getting out of banking. So there's virtually nothing left.
Unless the witless clowns who run the post-office dream up some new areas of business then it's only a matter of time until the whole network is consigned to history.
Here's an idea. Many companies will only send goods to the billable address of a credit card. Why not have a system where you can authorise a local P.O. as an alternative recipient. They will let you redirect Royal Mail items now but why stop there? If you can have it as a second address then I'm sure many working people would pay for such a service. Just a thought.
I think most commentators are following the shepherd here. The fact is, that as it stands, the traditional business of the Post Offices has been dying a slow death. Very few people collect their pensions on Thursdays now. More-and-more establishments won't accept postal orders. Very few people send letters now, instead they phone, or send texts/emails. Why the P.O. sold Giro I don't know but they seemed intent on getting out of banking. So there's virtually nothing left.
Unless the witless clowns who run the post-office dream up some new areas of business then it's only a matter of time until the whole network is consigned to history.
Here's an idea. Many companies will only send goods to the billable address of a credit card. Why not have a system where you can authorise a local P.O. as an alternative recipient. They will let you redirect Royal Mail items now but why stop there? If you can have it as a second address then I'm sure many working people would pay for such a service. Just a thought.
Posted by: petethefeet, York on 12:13am Sun 23 Mar 08
Yes. But to expand it to include all delivery networks and to augment it as a secondary approved recipient for credit-card purchases.
I suspect that the muppets who run the royal-mail want to diminish the number of 'points-of-sale' at the periphery, not realising that this will damage 'core business'. What they don't realise is that if they can 'trigger' more business at the periphery, they'll protect the core business.
Sorry folks. I'm not against P.O's as such but the whole shebang needs some enigmatic management.
Yes. But to expand it to include all delivery networks and to augment it as a secondary approved recipient for credit-card purchases.
I suspect that the muppets who run the royal-mail want to diminish the number of 'points-of-sale' at the periphery, not realising that this will damage 'core business'. What they don't realise is that if they can 'trigger' more business at the periphery, they'll protect the core business.
Sorry folks. I'm not against P.O's as such but the whole shebang needs some enigmatic management.
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