Respect councillors and supporters were campaigning in Watney Market on Saturday to keep local post offices in business. Royal Mail is planning to close five sub post offices in Tower Hamlets.  Customers at 75 Whitechapel Road, Watney Street in Shadwell, Devons Road and Heylyn Square in Bow and at The Quarterdeck on the Isle of Dogs could see their local services axed.

Respect’s leader on Tower Hamlets Council, Abjol Miah, pictured collecting signatures for a petition to millionaire Post Office chairman Allan Leighton, says it is a scandal.

“Respect’s councillors, MP and members will fight alongside the customers and staff to keep these offices open. Our communities need to have this essential service within easy reach. Pensioners and mothers with young children can’t be expected to travel more than a mile in each direction to get their money. These offices are serving some of the most vulnerable people in our borough and as far as we are concerned public service is more important than profit. That’s why Respect is fiercely opposed to these proposed closures!”

Councillor Miah slammed New Labour’s Jim Fitzpatrick. “He says he’s trying to save The Quarterdeck sub post office on the Isle of Dogs, in his constituency. Fair enough but he is backing the other closures across the country. What about the other four offices in Tower Hamlets Jim?  Their customers need a local service just as much as his constituents. You could save a tens of thousands pounds by closing down the special post office in Parliament for MPs. Respect members across the country will be joining the national battle with unions and customers to keep open the 2500 post offices that this government will allow to driven out of business.”