"Save Our Local Post Offices" Call From Stone LibDems

1.22.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 8th Apr 2008

Christine Tinker, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Stone Constituency, and local party members were at Stones Farmers Market on Saturday 5th April to collect signatures in a campaign to save the viable post offices listed for closure in Stone Constituency. People were very keen to sign up in support of Walton, Stone; Draycott in the Moors and Kingsley Holt Post Offices.

There was great support from the public when they were approached to sign the petition, with many Stone residents saying how they did not want Walton post office to close. Many people gave stories of the excellent service provided, both with the formal post office business but also in being an important point of contact for people.

"These post offices play an important social and economic role in their communities", explained Christine Tinker, "Particularly for older people and vulnerable members of society. We thought we would ask members of the public to show their support and we had a fantastic response - we had nearly 800 signatures in a short space of time in spite of the weather".

We will now send this to Sarah Teather MP, the LibDem Shadow Secretary of State for Business Enterprise, to add to the ever growing number of people who oppose this government policy, so that she can continue to put the case for saving local post offices to the Government Minister.

"Strong sustainable local communities are an important cornerstone of LibDem policies and we want to scrap the 'Whitehall knows best' rules that mess up and delay decisions about key local issues, of which Post Offices are an important part. We will continue this campaign and hope the Government sees sense before it is too late".