Spoke yesterday in the opposition day debate on post office closures. The issue is a huge one for all MPs. Because time was limited, I focused on the impact that the closure programme will have on the rural parts of Clwyd West.
The debate was extremely well attended and there was a substantial Labour rebellion. It was insufficient, however, to defeat the government, which won by a majority of only 20. In other words, if 11 Labour MPs had voted with the opposition, the motion would have been passed. This would have come as a considerable relief to every community facing the loss of its post office, which is frequently also its only shop.
Now here’s a funny thing. The text of the motion was very similar indeed to that of Early Day Motion 997. A total of 35 Labour MPs signed EDM 997, so one might have expected that they would also support the opposition motion in the debate. However, extraordinarily enough, 17 of them supported the government. Very odd.
As a service to readers, I have appended the names of the 17 non-rebels. If you see your own MP among them, you may wish to write to him / her and ask for an explanation of his / her actions.
John Austin
Karen Buck
Michael Clapham
Frank Cook
Bill Etherington
Joan Humble
Brian Jenkins
Lynne Jones
Gordon Marsden
Doug Naismith
Greg Pope
Linda Riordan
Joan Ryan
Mohammad Sarwar
Andy Slaughter
Lynda Waltho
Betty Williams
The debate was extremely well attended and there was a substantial Labour rebellion. It was insufficient, however, to defeat the government, which won by a majority of only 20. In other words, if 11 Labour MPs had voted with the opposition, the motion would have been passed. This would have come as a considerable relief to every community facing the loss of its post office, which is frequently also its only shop.
Now here’s a funny thing. The text of the motion was very similar indeed to that of Early Day Motion 997. A total of 35 Labour MPs signed EDM 997, so one might have expected that they would also support the opposition motion in the debate. However, extraordinarily enough, 17 of them supported the government. Very odd.
As a service to readers, I have appended the names of the 17 non-rebels. If you see your own MP among them, you may wish to write to him / her and ask for an explanation of his / her actions.
John Austin
Karen Buck
Michael Clapham
Frank Cook
Bill Etherington
Joan Humble
Brian Jenkins
Lynne Jones
Gordon Marsden
Doug Naismith
Greg Pope
Linda Riordan
Joan Ryan
Mohammad Sarwar
Andy Slaughter
Lynda Waltho
Betty Williams
1 comments:
I am very disappointed to note that Betty Williams lost her nerve and integrity over failing to stick up for the many thousands of her constituents in the rural areas of constituency.
The post office and local shops go side by side in these rural areas, thus enabling many business to survive.
Without one or the other, neither will survive, thus ruining large communities, that will in time be no more.
The national Lottery operators Camelot, on Government instruction have had to put terminals in loss making outlets such as small rural post offices as part of their license, to support rural communities, yet in this case it most certainly do as We say not as We do.
Of course without the post offices, there will be no other shop for papers and provisions yet alone Lottery.
In short I can now see why Betty had an alleged health scare some weeks ago, her judgement is now certainly in question.
She will now be in danger of been lynched !
Post a Comment