Richard Baum

The Liberal Democrat motion to full Council calling for a halt to the government’s plans to close five Post Offices in Bury was successful last night, winning unanimous support from Councillors.

The motion was brought to Council as a result of the government’s plans to close 2,500 more Post Offices, having already closed one third of the Post Office network in the past ten years. It called for an end to the closure programme, the halting of consultation in favour of giving full support to rebuilding the network, and called for both of Bury’s MPs to make amends for supporting the government’s plans in Parliament.

I proposed the motion, and you can read the full text of the speech I made above. My colleague Cllr Wilf Davison seconded, and made a great speech telling Council of the efforts he’d made to speak to the post masters at all the threatened Post Offices in the Borough.

Our Post Offices are vital public institutions, and supporting them is crucial in preserving our communities. The Council has now made clear its support for local Post Offices and its opposition to the government’s ongoing and damaging closure programme.

Rick