Andy Slaughter Accused: "Hypocrisy" Over Post Offices

Campaigns to save local branches, but votes to shut them

Labour MPs, including our local MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush, Andy Slaughter, are being criticised for voting against plans to suspend Post Office closures in Parliament before going back to their local constituencies to protest against the cuts.

Andy Slaughter was accused of hypocrisy yesterday afer he voted against Conservative plans to suspend Post Office closures at 7.15pm on Wednesday. Only 30 minutes later, he was addressing an open meeting at Hammersmith Town Hall to protest against the closures.

Greg Hands, the Conservative MP in neighbouring Hammersmith and Fulham, who was also at the meeting, said: "He appeared with me and stood there and decried the local post office closures and even said he would back Ken Livingstone's judicial review. He came out with a mealy-mouthed line like he saw the need to close some post offices but disagreed with the choice of closures locally. Even in these times reeking of hypocrisy, it is surely one of the swiftest volte-faces ever."

However Greg Hands' own party leader David Cameron apparently failed to vote on the suspension motion brought by the Conservatives.

At least 90 Labour MPs - one in four of the Parliamentary party - have campaigned locally against closures, including several members of the Cabinet. Only 19 backbenchers rebelled against the Government in Wednesday's vote.

On Andy Slaughter's website, he has been trumpeting the numerous local meetings and protests he has attended against the Post Office closures. The text beneath the photograph, right, reads:

"A picture of what is becoming a familiar sight across the constituency: a protest against the closure of a local Post Office. Here I met Rosemary Pettitt of Brackenbury Residents and Councillor Gill Dickenson of Askew Ward. There is much confusion and some disinformation being spread about these cuts, but one thing is crystal clear: our area is suffering disproportionately and we need to persuade the Post Office to look again at its proposals to close so many local Post Offices in this part of London. Please come along to the PUBLIC MEETING which I have organised: with enough support, I hope we can change managers' minds. It is at ASKEW ROAD CHURCH HALL at 7pm, this THURDAY, 6th MARCH.

"I want to hear your views and will make sure Post Office bosses hear your message loud and clear."

His "loud and clear" message reveals that our MP, along with so many of his colleagues, switched off his microphone at the crucial moment.

March 22, 2008