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Cabinet post office 'hypocrites' Cabinet post office 'hypocrites'
(about 1 hour later)
The Conservatives have accused several cabinet ministers of "hypocrisy" for campaigning to save post offices in their constituencies. The Conservatives have accused several cabinet ministers of "rank hypocrisy" for campaigning to save post offices in their constituencies.
Up to seven members of the cabinet are said to have joined local campaigns, despite signing up to a national policy to close 2,500 branches. Up to seven current and former members of the cabinet are said to have joined campaigns, despite the government's policy of closing 2,500 branches.
A spokesman for Justice Secretary Jack Straw confirmed the minister met local post office campaigners last Friday. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Justice Secretary Jack Straw are among those criticised by the Tories.
Ministers say there is nothing wrong in representing their constituents' views. The government said it was "right" for MPs to represent constituents' views.
'Queuing up'
The closures were ordered last May in an effort to save losses of about £4m a week.
Shadow post office minister Charles Hendry said the cabinet had "forced through a policy which is incredibly unpopular in communities up and down this country".
He said Labour MPs were "queuing up to say that the access criteria are wrong; that individual post offices should close".
I think it's right that MPs take part in consultations Pat McFaddenPost offices minister
Mr Hendry also said: "Cabinet ministers above all have a responsibility to explain to their own constituency why those decisions were right, rather than just saying their constituencies should be exempted."
The other cabinet ministers thought to oppose closures in their constituencies are Chief Whip Geoff Hoon; Culture Secretary Andy Burnham; Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy; and Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary John Denham.
Tessa Jowell, formerly culture secretary and now Olympics minister, has also protested.
Views
Post Offices Minister Pat McFadden told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that consultations about how post office closures would work locally were going on around the country.
He added: "I think it's right that MPs take part in consultations... that MPs of either party represent their constituents' views on this."
Mr Straw, Ms Smith and Ms Jowell were in the cabinet when the decision to go ahead with closures was taken in May last year.
Mr Straw met protesters last Friday in his Blackburn constituency.
His spokesman said the accusations of hypocrisy were "absurd", adding that he had done what MPs were supposed to do by representing the views of local people to central government.
Ms Smith signed a petition against closures in her Redditch seat two years ago.
A spokeswoman said she fully accepted the need for post office rationalisation, but added that it proper for her to make representations on behalf of constituents.