Labour MP Ann McKechin accused of hypocrisy over Post Offices

12.00.00am GMT Thu 13th Nov 2008

Labour MP for Glasgow North, Ann McKechin, has been accused of hypocrisy after she voted against a Parliamentary motion supporting Post Offices in the House of Commons on Monday night, despite claiming to support post offices when 4 were faced with closure in her constituency last year.

Post Offices face a bleak future if the Government gives another company the contract to pay out pensions and benefits instead of the Post Office. They currently deliver this through the Post Office Card Account (POCA), which is used by around 4 million elderly and benefit claimants.

It is believed that up to 6,000 Post Offices could close if the POCA is taken away from them. Ministers are expected to announce their decision on POCA shortly.

The Parliamentary motion expresses worries about the damaging results on Post Offices if they lose more business. Ministers and government agencies are currently putting huge pressure on people to get pensions and benefits paid directly into bank accounts instead of through the Post Office.

The motion called on government departments and agencies to make services available through Post Offices to help both the Post Office network and the people who rely on it. MPs could sign the motion over the summer and autumn. Liberal Democrat MPs then brought it to the House of Commons to debate it on Monday 10th November.

"Residents of Glasgow North will have every right to feel let down by Ann McKechin's hypocrisy on Post Offices," said local Liberal Democrat Westminster spokesperson, Katy Gordon. It seems that she says one thing about Post Offices when in Glasgow and then votes the exact opposite way in Westminster. This is not the first time she has supported the running down of the post office network.

"Ann McKechin chose to vote to throw out the concerns about the future of Post Offices and replace it with praise for what the Government has done to the Post Office network.

"Our area needs an MP who will fight for local people, one who will do what it says on the cover. What we have is one who postures in support of local people and then runs away from taking action when it's needed."

As Liberal Democrats, we fought hard to retain Kelvindale and Hyndland post offices within Glasgow North in 2007, and were delighted when the campaign succeeded. Ann McKechin failed to even turn up to vote in the House of Commons debate on post office closures during Glasgow's consultation period. If she had, she would have heard our campaign against the closures being praised in the same debate.

Liberal Democrats have called for the Post Office to be allowed to continue to pay out pensions and benefits. They have also called for £2 billion of investment in branches, paid for by selling part of the Government's shareholding in Royal Mail.

They also want more Government departments to use Post Offices to provide services, to free branches from restrictions on doing business with other parcel delivery companies and to broaden the range of commercial services available across the counter.

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. Katy Gordon is the Scottish Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson for Glasgow North. Her website is www.katygordon.org.uk

2. The fight for Glasgow North Westminster seat is a 2 horse race, with the Liberal Democrats only 3338 votes behind Labour in the 2005 general election

3. Katy Gordon and the Liberal Democrats fought to retain Kelvindale and Hyndland Post Offices in autumn 2007. Both were saved from closure. For further comment on the Liberal Democrat campaign to save Kelvindale, contact Mr Mohammed, Postmaster at Kelvindale PO, Kelvindale Road, Glasgow on 0141 357 0376

4. 10th Jan 2007 - debate in House of Commons. Ann McKechin voted against amendment to bill which 'condemns the Government's short-sighted plan to close 2,500 post offices; and urges the Government to allow sub-post offices greater freedom to develop their businesses'. Link http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2007-01-10&number=22&mpn=Ann_McKechin&mpc=Glasgow+North

5. 29th Nov 2007 - debate on Post Office Restructuring in Westminster Hall. Not a single one of Glasgow's Labour MPs attended the recent debate in Westminster on Post Office closures, despite it being during the consultation period with 20 Glasgow Post Offices under threat http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2007-11-29b.135.0&s=post+office+closure+debate%2C+westminster+hall#g159.0 . In this same debate, Katy Gordon's campaign for Kelvindale was praised

6. 19th March 08 - debate in House of Commons. Ann McKechin voted against motion which 'regrets the closure of 2,500 post offices…'. Link http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-03-19&number=131&display=allvotes