Post Office Closures

[onlyme]

Originally Posted by g jones

see attachments - thought they make interesting reading about what is happening behind he scenes?

Wow, this is soooooo James Bond pmsl

[WalkOnBRFC]

Originally Posted by onlyme

I was wondering the same. At the end of the day Jaysay was just coining a well known phrase thats pretty standard in todays language.

Besides, I might have said similar, except me dad comes on here, and even at the age of 32, I try not to swear in front of him lmao

Well Im sure he can speak for himself. I must've read it wrong sorry

[garinda]

Why didn't Peter Britcliffe just e-mail Greg Pope, his question?

It would have saved us, the council tax payers, the cost of the stationery, and postage.

I believe council letters go through their own franking machine, so it's not even as if he was keeping his local Post Office in business.

[onlyme]

Originally Posted by WalkOnBRFC

Well Im sure he can speak for himself. I must've read it wrong sorry

Sorry, wasnt trying to cause a row or anything....

***goes back under her stone***

Sorry!

[Lilly]

I see that Greg Pope has voted in favour of the closures today.

How Labour MPs voted on post office closures - Telegraph

Wasn't he campaigning locally to keep them open, or have I dreamt that?

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Lilly

I see that Greg Pope has voted in favour of the closures today.

How Labour MPs voted on post office closures - Telegraph

Wasn't he campaigning locally to keep them open, or have I dreamt that?

why am i not suprised at that. really caring.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by garinda

Why didn't Peter Britcliffe just e-mail Greg Pope, his question?

It would have saved us, the council tax payers, the cost of the stationery, and postage.

I believe council letters go through their own franking machine, so it's not even as if he was keeping his local Post Office in business.

Maybe it was the extensive reasons given for keeping the post offices open that PB thought a letter was more appropriate for a letter. E-mails are usually better kept for brief questions

[garinda]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Maybe it was the extensive reasons given for keeping the post offices open that PB thought a letter was more appropriate for a letter. E-mails are usually better kept for brief questions

Though ironically by using the council's own mailing servive, his letter will have never been anywhere near a Post Office, local or not.

[garinda]

...and we've all paid for it.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

...and we've all paid for it.

No comment on Greg voting for post office closures then Rindi

[g jones]

Originally Posted by jaysay

No comment on Greg voting for post office closures then Rindi

I think Greg's response was very good. Not entirely my view but one that can be respected. Peter's letter. Well it's just as Greg said.

Peter got 12,000 votes and Greg 18,000 at the last General election. For me the letters reflect people's view of both candidates. Peter has his supporters, Greg has his. Peter clearly needs to be a lot more committed to Hyndburn, and stop being dishonest if he is to seriously do a better job than Greg.

In his leaders column this week Peter was at it again telling more lies about Labour*. He will never get past 12,000 votes IMHO whilst he has that attitude.

* Labour tabled on simple budget amendment - Council Tax 2% - it was defeated and the Conservatives voted through their 5% rise instead. The Labour 40 ideas - many cost little or nothing, policy reviews, new code of conduct for Councillors, changing all of the committee structure to stop the sleaze and corruption. All of it was within a smaller budget than the Conservatives.

On the spending side, most or nearly all them involved the spending of an extra £4m the Government has given Hyndburn - not current expenditure. Peter knew this because I told him but thought he could get some extra votes by misleading the public. Deja Vu every year. Last year he made up scare stories about Rubbish Tax and Car Parking Charges. It's funny at times (when it's not depressing). Like living in an African banana republic, no matter what the dictator does he get's elected.

[g jones]

Originally Posted by jaysay

No comment on Greg voting for post office closures then Rindi

and jaysay......what's your answer (forget others - you've got a big mouth so let's hear it)... public subsidy???????? or market forces???????.....

[g jones]

Heh Jaysay... given all the noise your lot are making on this here in Hyndburn... how come Hyndburn Council is not one the Councils that has applied ??????

Is Clr Britcliffe committing the Council to spending up to £72,000 (and beyond with recruitment of new postmasters) propping up the 4 closures? You said Tories will save them .... how??? You have an opportunity to make a positive decision and back up your words.

COUNCILS GIVEN GREEN LIGHT TO SAVE POST OFFICES
Post Office managers must co-operate fully with innovative plans by local councils to save their local branches from closure, ministers said today. More than 50 councils now want to save threatened branches, offering rescue packages of £18,000 per branch over three years from council tax receipts. Sir Simon Milton (Conservative), chairman of the LGA, was quoted: “It is a huge step in the right direction that the Minister has instructed Post Office Limited to enter into discussions with councils who have put forward proposals to save some of their local branches.
Telegraph p8, Guardian p14, FT p2, Express p2
MP rebellion fails to stop post office closures - Telegraph

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by g jones

I think Greg's response was very good. Not entirely my view but one that can be respected. Peter's letter. Well it's just as Greg said.

Peter got 12,000 votes and Greg 18,000 at the last General election. For me the letters reflect people's view of both candidates. Peter has his supporters, Greg has his. Peter clearly needs to be a lot more committed to Hyndburn, and stop being dishonest if he is to seriously do a better job than Greg.

In his leaders column this week Peter was at it again telling more lies about Labour*. He will never get past 12,000 votes IMHO whilst he has that attitude.

* Labour tabled on simple budget amendment - Council Tax 2% - it was defeated and the Conservatives voted through their 5% rise instead. The Labour 40 ideas - many cost little or nothing, policy reviews, new code of conduct for Councillors, changing all of the committee structure to stop the sleaze and corruption. All of it was within a smaller budget than the Conservatives.

On the spending side, most or nearly all them involved the spending of an extra £4m the Government has given Hyndburn - not current expenditure. Peter knew this because I told him but thought he could get some extra votes by misleading the public. Deja Vu every year. Last year he made up scare stories about Rubbish Tax and Car Parking Charges. It's funny at times (when it's not depressing). Like living in an African banana republic, no matter what the dictator does he get's elected.

I see you have failed to respond to my post that suggest Mr Pope might have known what the Conservatives and Liberals were suggesting if he actually attended the debate in Parliament on Wednesday rather than posting here at the time.

I would at least expect you to have some form of clue about what is going on in the world of Politics. The last general election was not even fought by Peter Britcliffe in Hyndburn. You seem to believe that the whole election was based on a cult of personality, he's just an ordinary man, you might want to think about policy at elections because thats usually what people care about.

You bat on about these 40 uncosted items, I'd like to know what they were if we are to believe your story.

It isn't however very belivable right now, because you talk about corruption, you talk about sleeze, you talk about misleading people, then you go ahead and tell us the Conservatives are raising tax by 5% when its actually 3.7%

Last time we had a Labour council we were £2million in debt, now we're 500k in the positive. Are you sure 2% increase is well costed and isn't just for votes?

Is it any wonder people don't trust Labour with the council when you'd be in charge?

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by g jones

Heh Jaysay... given all the noise your lot are making on this here in Hyndburn... how come Hyndburn Council is not one the Councils that has applied ??????

Is Clr Britcliffe committing the Council to spending up to £72,000 (and beyond with recruitment of new postmasters) propping up the 4 closures? You said Tories will save them .... how??? You have an opportunity to make a positive decision and back up your words.

Lets just get the figures straight, that's £72,000 over three years so £24,000 a year, what happens after the 3 years? The Conservatives proposals revolved around turning post offices into profitable businesses and there were a range of ideas debated. The Government need to make these changes so that sub-post offices can compete and they seem reluctant to so far (hence closing them all as seemingly a first option). Which means the council have to run them at a loss if they're not allowed to try and make them profitable. I don't know the full details of the budgets, but if budgets have already been drawn up, what would you cut from your 2% tax budget to fund this?