IT seems that the Post Office branch closures are to go ahead even in the face of heavy local opposition.

There is no point in the York MP Hugh Bayley and Government ministers hiding behind the feeble excuse that it is all down to the Post Office and how it manages its business for maximised efficiency, when the fact is that this Labour Government ultimately owns the Post Office.

This is a brief summary of the Government's attitude to this and some other issues:

Post Office - unpopular closure of many unprofitable branches and the bullying of pensioners to accept electronic payments. Third-rate postal system with late and mislaid deliveries even though the Post Office workforce generally do an excellent job.

The total disregard for people who use their local branch especially concerning the elderly and those without their own transport. The Government could quite easily have modernised and subsidised these branches to keep them open.

Pensioners - means testing, no link to earnings, disparity between men and women and the plain truth that no matter how rich a pensioner is, currently they have paid into their pension agreement with the respective governments over many years and expect a decent pension in return.

Iraq - 100,000 Iraqis killed so far, due directly to our "intervention to install Western democracy" in Iraq, given legitimacy through the 'lie' that Saddam was a direct and immediate threat to the UK because he had WMD.

ID Cards - introduced using the excuse of terrorism, they will be an extensive intrusion into our lives and a new tax. They are a means to follow and watch every move and record an audit trail of each card holder.

How could it possibly stop a well-funded, technically capable and determined terrorist organisation?

Tom Scaife,

Manor Drive North, York.

Updated: 11:40 Tuesday, November 09, 2004