KEEPING ALL POST OFFICES IN LANCASTER AND WYRE OPEN AND AVAILABLE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME

Ben is totally opposed to plans by the Government to slash thousands of Post Offices. In May, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alistair Darling MP, announced that the Government would be slashing approximately 2,500 Post Offices over the next few years.

Ben swiftly rebutted the announcement by Gordon Brown's right-hand man saying that the news will "rip the heart out of many communities".

Ben is passionate about Post Offices believing that the facilities are vital to the well-being of our community. He also believes that the best way to help sustain Post Offices is for more business and entrepreneurial opportunities to be created by the Government for them.

Because of this passion, since his election as Member of Parliament for Lancaster and Wyre in 2005, Ben has made keeping and protecting Post Offices in the area a top priority.

In April, Ben contacted Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, asking for reassurances over the future of Glasson Dock Post Office after concerned residents wrote to him on the matter.

Then in May, Ben lobbied Mr Crozier again, this time on the future of Lancaster's main Post Office on Fenton Street after rumours circulated that the facility would be closed in favour of placing a smaller Post Office inside the WH Smith shop in town.

The MP was also immediately on hand to welcome the re-opening of rural Post Offices in Scorton, Dolphinholme and Cockerham after a period of closure due to the resignation of respective Postmasters.

No final decision has been made by the Government on which Post Offices will be culled, but Ben has the guaranteed all his constituents that he will be fighting to keep all of the Post Offices in Lancaster and Wyre open, sustainable and available for generations to come.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE EFFORTS, COMMENTS AND CALLS BEN HAS BEEN MAKING THIS YEAR AS PART OF THE FIGHT POST OFFICE CLOSURES IN LANCASTER AND WYRE...

BEN WRITES TO MAIL CHIEF OVER THE FUTURE OF FENTON STREET POST OFFICE

MAY

Ben has written to the Royal Mail's top boss in order to seek an assurance that Lancaster's Fenton Street Post Office will not be co-opted into a new scheme which is seeing Royal Mail close 70 Crown Post Offices across the UK and move the services that were on offer at those Post Offices to WH Smith shops in the same vicinity. Blackpool's Abingdon Street Post Office has already been earmarked for such treatment.

Ben said: "I've used the Fenton Street Post Office many times over the years. It is great facility which provides a top service for the people of Lancaster.

It is conveniently placed for students, city centre workers, and visitors to the City who need to pop into a Post Office as they get off the train at the station."

It would be an absolute travesty if the services it provided were moved and people were forced to go to WH Smith in order to pick up their pensions and post letters."

MP WELCOMES RURAL LANCASTER POST OFFICE RE-OPENINGS

JULY

Ben has welcomed the re-opening of two rural Post Offices based in the hinterland of the City.

Dolphinholme and Cockerham Post Offices will reopen in July after spending a year shut. Both facilities closed suddenly last summer after the Sub-Postmaster, who ran the operations of both Post Offices, resigned.

Since the closures, the MP and local residents have been campaigning hard to get the Post Offices re-opened. Ben wrote to Royal Mail demanding answers about the future of postal services in Dolphinholme and Cockerham.

Ben said: "This is great news for all those who have been lobbying on the issue. People from Dolphinholme and Cockerham have had to do without having a Post Office for nearly a year now and I am sure it has not been easy.

It is just such a pity that this very positive information has been tainted by the Government's announcement last month that it plans to slash thousands of Post Offices. It would be a total sham if these Post Offices were forced to close for good so soon after re-opening."

WALLACE IN 'WINTER CAMPAIGN CALL' AFTER POST OFFICE CULLING DATE SET

OCTOBER

Ben has called for a "winter campaign" from postmasters and post officer users, in the area, in order to defend local post offices. The MP's plea comes after Royal Mail officials announced the date of January 2008 for when the list of proposed post offices closures in Lancaster and Wyre will be publicly released.

Lancaster and Wyre's post offices considered for the chop will be released under the 'Lancashire and Fylde and Southport' label in the first month of next year with then a public consultation officially starting on January 22nd.

Ben said: "With January 2008 being the date for when the list of Lancaster and Wyre post offices targeted for the chop will be officially released, we all now need to mobilise a winter campaign, over the next couple of months, to pressurise this Government into not slashing our community's postal services."