I DO not understand why the proposed closure of 13 post offices across the borough is such a shock to Labour MP Mr Ivan Lewis and our local councillors. After all, Bury Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on this issue for the past two years.

In fact, in May 2002 Mr Lewis said the Lib Dems were inventing the closure proposals to frighten local people, especially older people, just before the local elections. He said he had been assured by the Post Office that there were no plans for closures in Prestwich and added that the Lib Dems were just hoping to gain some extra votes.

The BBC reported in April 2002 that Consignia proposed a cost-saving plan which could result in the closure of 3,000 post offices, about one-third of the entire urban network. Whilst Bury Lib Dems chose to highlight this, Mr Lewis chose to toe the party line and bury his head in the sand. Even worse, he deceived people about the possibility of closures.

The BBC also reported in October that year that MPs had backed a proposal to close 3,000 urban post offices. It seems Mr Lewis and fellow councillors missed that bit of news as well.

So, am I to understand that, at long last, Mr Lewis is backing Bury Lib Dems' two-year campaign and retracts his ridiculous allegation made in 2002? Or is Mr Lewis simply falling back on the old Labour stand-by of jumping on bandwagons?

I fear that Labour's neglect of this wonderful local post office service has gone on for so long that it may be impossible to reverse these proposed closures. And anyway, do we really believe that Mr Lewis and local Labour councillors will seriously fight the closures, or secretly rub their hands with glee. Time will tell.

MIKE HALSALL,

Bury Lib Dem member.