Having left the public gallery sometime during public questions last night, we missed the most entertaining part of the Council proceedings. We are talking about Labour teaming up with the Conservatives to try and frustrate a Liberal Democrat motion opposing further cuts in Post Offices.According to our sources, Labour wunderkind and Morriston new boy, Rob Stewart, backed up by his leader, David Phillips, sought to remove from the motion opposition to the removal of Government business from the Post Office. He and his Labour colleagues also opposed any link up between the Council and local AMs and MPs to campaign against the dismantling of the Post Office network. They must have swallowed hard when new Tory leader, Rene Kinzett leapt to his feet to enthusiastically pledge the support of himself and his Tory Group to this amendment. Labour failed to vote for the unamended motion.
We can only conclude from this unholy alliance that Labour and the Tories are happy at the Government removing choice from local people as to where they get their passport for example, and that they do not mind too much if as a result of the Government taking their business elsewhere, local Post Offices become less viable and have to close.
We must also draw the conclusion that both Labour and the Tories do not wish to see a repeat of the joint work between the Council and local Parliamentary and Assembly representatives over the Kingsway Post Office, in seeking to save other Post Offices. Presumably they are happy to sit passively by as their communities are deprived of this vital facility.
Vote Labour, get Tory and lose your Post Office.
