I read the Commons debate in full (see link: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-01-16a.1048.0&s=speaker%3A10210#g1048.2], and whilst Michael duly asked the Minister to stop the closures and challenge the Post Office as to why they have come up with these proposals, the reply from the Minister was extremely worrying…

'My hon. Friend mentioned the branches in his constituency—Tilling Green, White Rock, Hastings Old Town and St. Leonard's Green—and I appreciate his concern for those local communities. As I have said during previous debates on this issue, I understand that a difficult decision has been taken, which causes concern among hon. Members of all parties, and in the local communities represented. The Prime Minister talked a week or two ago about having to take difficult decisions in Government and I am afraid that this has been one such decision.'

This sounds very final to me, and doesn't leave us with much hope that the Post Office itself is likely to listen to the hundreds and thousands of people that have responded to their consultation. I know that every door bar none that I knocked on before Christmas on the Tilling Green Estate in Rye, was opened by someone who was dead against the closures. But this will count for nothing.

I hope I am wrong. We will see.

The Lib Dems have a fully costed alternative to what should be done about the Post Office network (see link: http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/RoyalMail2006.pdf]. We believe that the Post Office network is in a mess of the Government's own making. We have proposed a plan to retain the network in the public sector and to make £2 billion available to plug the investment shortfall of previous governments.

These points reprise the argument that has taken place in the local paper about the funding settlement received from Government by local councils. We have a New Labour Government that is happy to spend tax-payers money on an illegal war in Iraq, the renewal of Trident and the pursuit of a new generation of nuclear power stations. But it provides a meagre 1.9% increase in funding to local councils – significantly below inflation – requiring them to do more and more with less and less.

It's scandalous. But don't imagine that the Conservatives have got the answers. They haven't. They are the magpies of the policy world – aping Lib Dem proposals where it suits, and the Government's when ours are too radical.

To finish where we started… Michael Foster has done right by the constituency in his recent work on post offices. But don't be deceived that it will deliver what you hope for. New Labour is not delivering; the Conservative package isn't addressed properly. It's only the Lib Dems that can make things first class again.