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by Brian Currie
TWENTY-TWO post offices in Greater
Glasgow are to be closed under plans announced today.
A further five will go in the West Dunbartonshire Council area and seven in Argyll and Bute in a cull of 44 post offices hitting Scotland.
One of the worst affected areas is the Glasgow North constituency of MP Ann McKechin, who immediately condemned the proposals.
Half the post offices in her constituency are threatened and she said: "The Post Office must think again
- these post offices provide
a valuable local facility.
"They are more than just a business - they are an important part of our local communities.
"Why should residents in Glasgow North suffer such
a disproportionate cut in services? The Post Office has said it wants to close 20% of post offices overall, yet it wants to close half the offices in this area."
Ms McKechin has launched a petition to save the offices and wants local people to make their views known by taking part in the six-week consultation programme before the final decision is made.
Her campaign is
supported by local MSPs Bill Butler, Patricia Ferguson and Pauline McNeill.
Glasgow North West MP John Robertson also urged the Post Office to think again. He said it was "playing
a numbers game" instead
of thinking about what
benefited its customers.
He said: "The worst hit areas are those where there is a high take-up of benefits, which are usually collected from local post offices."
However, the Labour politicians were accused of cynicism by East Dunbartonshire LibDems' MSP Jo Swinson for failing to work harder to save them.
She said: "It is all very well for Labour MPs to be blaming the public for these closures, but it is the Labour Government that has presided over the decline of the Post Office network.
"It is the height of cynicism for Labour MPs to suddenly realise how important the Post Office is to their community when it is threatened with closure."
The closures are part of a phased plan, supported by Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling, to close up to 2500 post offices across the UK. The Post Office says it is losing £4million a week throughout the UK.
A Post Office spokesman claimed "almost 90% of the total area's population will see no change at all to their nearest branch or will remain within one mile of an alternative branch".
The lists for Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire are expected to be revealed next June.
Customers hit out at unfair' blow for the elderly
CUSTOMERS in Glasgow today reacted angrily to the planned closures.
In the Allison Street branch in Govanhill, local resident Ellen Banner, 38, said: "It's very handy for the area. I use it for stamps and to post parcels. It's really unfair on the elderly."
Another local, David Docherty, 36, added: "I come here to cash my benefits. It's unfair because people will have to walk to the post office in Victoria Road."
The reaction was similar at the Nithsdale Road branch.
Lucy Scaife, 30, from Strathbungo, said: "It's part of the community. I use it to pick up stamps and post parcels.
"This will hit the elderly hard."
Offices facing closure
GREATER GLASGOW
Auchenback, Aurs Drive, Barrhead;
Greenbank, Eaglesham Road, Clarkston;
Anderston, St Vincent Terrace;
Govanhill, Allison Street;
High Street;
Springfield Road;
Sandymount, Grantlea Terrace;
Gilshochill, Glenavon Road;
Hyndland, Clarence Drive;
Kelvindale, Kelvindale Road;
West End, Dumbarton Road;
Balornock, Drumbottie Road;
Forge Street;
Red Road, Red Court;
Crow Road;
Drumchapel, Garscadden Road;
Kingsridge, Inchfad Drive;
Temple, Fulton Street;
Carmunnock, Busby Road;
Croftfoot, Castlemilk Road;
Muirend, Clarkston Road;
Nithsdale Road, Kildroston Street;
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE
Bowling, Dumbarton Road;
Brucehill, Brucehill Road, Dumbarton;
Newton, Glasgow Road, Dumbarton;
Levenvale, Argyll Street, Alexandria;
Radnor Park, Kilbowie Road, Clydebank.
ARGYLL & BUTE
East PrincesStreet, Helensburgh;
Gallowgate, Rothesay;
Hillfoot Street, Dunoon;
Kirn, Dunoon.
Publication date 23/10/07
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Posted by: N.S.00, Glasgow on 11:58am Tue 23 Oct 07
Thats at least 5 in my local area alone. A lot of older residents regularly use the post offices in these areas. I for one prefer to purchase my car tax discs etc from these branches to avoid them being lost in the post or the details being stolen. How far will some people need to travel to a post office if all 5 in one area close ??? The postal system in general is a mess in this country, its about time Gordy boy stepped in to sort it out. I feel sorry for all the postal workers.
Thats at least 5 in my local area alone. A lot of older residents regularly use the post offices in these areas. I for one prefer to purchase my car tax discs etc from these branches to avoid them being lost in the post or the details being stolen. How far will some people need to travel to a post office if all 5 in one area close ??? The postal system in general is a mess in this country, its about time Gordy boy stepped in to sort it out. I feel sorry for all the postal workers.
Posted by: Big Mac, Scotland on 3:36pm Tue 23 Oct 07
[bold]Now the public will see and hopefully understand why the postal workers & CWU have been fighting and striking for over the last few months![/bold]
It's not just the PO closures that will affect everybody in their day to day buisness but also the savage cuts to your postal delivery service the Royal Mail want to inflict.
The same folk who come on here week after week slating the postal workers in their fight against the cuts to their pensions, jobs and you [bold]your[/bold] service will again come on and throw their opinion about without putting their brain in gear first!
(Probably never had a job in their lives anyway!)
Should now sit back and watch what is happening and remember, [bold]they were warned![/bold]
Now the public will see and hopefully understand why the postal workers & CWU have been fighting and striking for over the last few months!
It's not just the PO closures that will affect everybody in their day to day buisness but also the savage cuts to your postal delivery service the Royal Mail want to inflict.
The same folk who come on here week after week slating the postal workers in their fight against the cuts to their pensions, jobs and you
your service will again come on and throw their opinion about without putting their brain in gear first!
(Probably never had a job in their lives anyway!)
Should now sit back and watch what is happening and remember,
they were warned! Posted by: Brian Blessed, Glasgow on 3:52pm Tue 23 Oct 07
Absolutely right Big Mac, the UK government are hell bent on destroying Royal Mail and the Post Office through death by a thousand cuts. Just how much are DHL, Business Post and the rest contributing to Labour coffers?
But then I guess if we continue to vote in these Glasgow Labour drone MPs at election after election, what else do we deserve?
Absolutely right Big Mac, the UK government are hell bent on destroying Royal Mail and the Post Office through death by a thousand cuts. Just how much are DHL, Business Post and the rest contributing to Labour coffers?
But then I guess if we continue to vote in these Glasgow Labour drone MPs at election after election, what else do we deserve?
Posted by: ex labour voter, glasgow on 4:59pm Tue 23 Oct 07
Where was McKechin when her labour party sold off the post office, no petition then hen eh.
Typical hypocrisy from the unionist drone.
Where was McKechin when her labour party sold off the post office, no petition then hen eh.
Typical hypocrisy from the unionist drone.
Posted by: jkr, Lochwinoch Greater Glasgow on 5:03pm Tue 23 Oct 07
If this was happening under a Tory government
the Labour opposition would go ballistic. What will this Labour government do about it?
Nothing!!
If this was happening under a Tory government
the Labour opposition would go ballistic. What will this Labour government do about it?
Nothing!!
Posted by: People Power, Glasgow on 9:38pm Tue 23 Oct 07
Postal workers have my full support here, as they have done from the start. My local postie was so sick of the disruption and hassles with the deadlocks in talks, that he's asking for a transfer. Knowing your local postie, isn't something people tend to think of - but for me that's the nicer element of engaging with your community in its entirety.
Unfortunately, this New Laour Government seem to dig their heads in the sand when it comes to sorting out issues like this, and sticking their ores in where it doesn't concern them.
Okay - So, Royal Mail may end up being sold off, or hudrereds of job losses, to add to the post office closures.
But at the end of all of this, I just hope those who remain with the service can still hold their heads up, and feel this struggle has all being worth their while ? As many cynics will be doubting it's effectiveness.
Postal workers have my full support here, as they have done from the start. My local postie was so sick of the disruption and hassles with the deadlocks in talks, that he's asking for a transfer. Knowing your local postie, isn't something people tend to think of - but for me that's the nicer element of engaging with your community in its entirety.
Unfortunately, this New Laour Government seem to dig their heads in the sand when it comes to sorting out issues like this, and sticking their ores in where it doesn't concern them.
Okay - So, Royal Mail may end up being sold off, or hudrereds of job losses, to add to the post office closures.
But at the end of all of this, I just hope those who remain with the service can still hold their heads up, and feel this struggle has all being worth their while ? As many cynics will be doubting it's effectiveness.
Posted by: Darren Wood, Glasgow on 11:10pm Tue 23 Oct 07
These Labour politicians are unbelievable.
Their Labour government is responsible for this policy yet they claim to be campaigning against it.
This is nothing but complete and utter hypocrisy. Hopefully people will see through this duplicity.
These Labour politicians are unbelievable.
Their Labour government is responsible for this policy yet they claim to be campaigning against it.
This is nothing but complete and utter hypocrisy. Hopefully people will see through this duplicity.
Posted by: People Power, Glasgow on 10:06pm Wed 24 Oct 07
The story of politicians lives!
The only words / terms that they have to know the meaning of include:
Hypocrisy
Two - Faced
Swindling
Corruption
Greed
Self - Fulfilling
Spinelessness
Backtracking
Backstabbing
Egotistic
Low - key
to name but a few!
Compared to the words they ought to fuly endorse and understand like:
Honesty
Transparency
Integrity
Accountability
People Skills
Representation
Constituents
Electorate
Compromises
Morality
Decency.
Civility
Perhaps if our Councillors and Politicians alike all had a better grounding and understanding of such basic concepts / words we'd have far better representation, and less corruption!
The story of politicians lives!
The only words / terms that they have to know the meaning of include:
Hypocrisy
Two - Faced
Swindling
Corruption
Greed
Self - Fulfilling
Spinelessness
Backtracking
Backstabbing
Egotistic
Low - key
to name but a few!
Compared to the words they ought to fuly endorse and understand like:
Honesty
Transparency
Integrity
Accountability
People Skills
Representation
Constituents
Electorate
Compromises
Morality
Decency.
Civility
Perhaps if our Councillors and Politicians alike all had a better grounding and understanding of such basic concepts / words we'd have far better representation, and less corruption!
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