Cardiff Lib Dems Call for more Government Support for Local Post Offices

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 15th Oct 2006

Alison Goldsworthy and the Cardiff Liberal Democrats want the Labour Government to retain the post office card account.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Conference has passed a motion calling on the Government, in both the Assembly and Westminster, to take steps to preserve local post offices. The motion, tabled by Cardiff Liberal Democrats was passed unanimously.

"Local Post Offices are facing some stark financial choices" said Cardiff West Liberal Democrat campaigner Alison Goldsworthy. "The Labour Welsh Assembly Government has offered some limited assistance to Welsh Post Offices but it doesn't go far enough, and offers small crumb of comfort to those punished by the policies of the Labour Westminster Government. In my own area of Cardiff West, more than 25% of post offices have closed since 2002."

"We are calling on the UK Labour Government to reinstate the Post Office Card Account the Liberal Democrats fought hard to keep. In Wales we want to re-establish the ring fenced Post Office Development Fund."

Welsh Lib Dem Councillor for Cathays Joe Carter who spoke in support of the motion this weekend said

"The closure of local post offices can have a profound effect on communities, particularly the more vulnerable members of society such as the elderly, disabled and those without transport of their own.

It is vital that the true social value of this network is fully considered as well as its economic future when looking at the long-term future of the network"