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Straw backs Post Office campaign
2:43pm Friday 22nd February 2008
CABINET Minister Jack Straw joined the fight to save his local post office and said: "I don't understand why it should be closed."
The Blackburn MP spoke as campaigners opposing the proposed closure handed him a petition today.
Residents and business people from the Preston New Road area of Blackburn collected more than 1,200 signatures and a bundle of letters opposing the plans.
Speaking outside the post office, Mr Straw said he fully backed the calls of residents and the Lancashire Telegraph Save Our Post Offices campaign to save the branch.
A total of 592 people have signed the our petition against the closure of up to a quarter of East Lancashire's post offices.
Across the area, 24 offices face the axe after a six-week consultation which began on January 21, as the Post Office tries to reduce its £4 million-a-week losses.
After receiving the petition from residents, Mr Straw said he would do what he could to avert the closure of this well used branch.
He said: "I don't understand the case for this post office to be closed.
"I have been involved with cases like this over the years and I realise that a lot of post office traffic now goes through the internet.
"However, this post office serves a large number of residents and businesses in this area and is at the heart of the business district.
"This is my local post office in the town and my staff use it when they are at the office."
Mr Straw was greeted by the sight of councillors and residents holding up placards protesting against the plans of the Government to close the branch.
And Coun Dave Harling, the ward councillor on Blackburn with Darwen, said the Preston New Road branch played a vital role at the heart of the community.
He added: "This place is like the corner shop in the sense it is used by so many people for different things.
"There are lots of reasons to keep this open and is used by so many businesses and residents.
"Part of the reason to close those in Johnson and Addison Street was because this was open, what will we do if this goes?
"The size of our petition shows how much this post office means to people."
Your Say YourTelegraph
i hate jack, litlleharwood says...
11:08am Sun 24 Feb 08
Ragnarok, Valhalla says...
6:43pm Sat 23 Feb 08
It's time to get wise,folks...(...and
,no;I am NOT BNP,just a little cheesed off that more of you didn't see what New Labour were 'offering' in the first place...'Stupid Is As Stupid Does...')
Beammeup, says...
9:53am Sat 23 Feb 08
They are all much of a muchness and generally in it for themselves.
I do however hate this current bunch of dictators with a passion.
Just a glimpse of 'one eye' Brown and my p*$$ starts to boil. As for the 'puppet' Home Sec she seems incapable of making any decision that hasn't come from 'one eye' himself.
The Foreign Sec looks about 12 yrs old and the Chancellor is widley recognised as being inept.
It should therefore be no surprise that Mr Straw's decision making process is starting to wilt. No doubt he is also being controlled by Mr Bean and being told what to say too.
A shame really because i used to think that he was one of the better politicians we had.
Beammeup!!!
H, blackburn says...
9:52pm Fri 22 Feb 08
dave, burnley says...
8:13pm Fri 22 Feb 08
He is either a complete imbecile who knows nothing, or a traitor to his own people, who will betray them for his own skin.
ayzi, Nelson says...
4:45pm Fri 22 Feb 08
GH, Darwen says...
3:05pm Fri 22 Feb 08
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stooball66, says...
8:42am Thu 6 Mar 08
Now the town is divided with no go areas where being white is very dangerous and unsafe after dark.
Ihave lived in Blackburn all my life you have come up in the world from when you lived with your family on richmond terrace Unfortunately all you have done to Blackburn is Destroy it.The sooner NU LABOUR IS REMOVED FROM OFFICE THE BETTER FOR US ALL
Justone last point Jack why should we pay council tax for the police in Blackburn they only come out now to the Asians.