Has your PO been Closed? Or will it be closing soon? Probably, yes...

[Julia Gasper]

I live in Oxford, where a large number of small suburban Post Offices have closed. People were very unhappy about it and there was a lot of discussion in the local press, but the consultation was a sham.
Our MP Andrew Smith told local people he was on their side and would do what he could - then he voted in Parliament in favour of the closures, which were of course carried out in tens of thousands right across the country.
Why?
Why did this happen?
Many people join groups like this in a belief that they can campaign in a non-political and non-partisan way. I think they are mistaken. You can only fight something if you understand the politics and you cannot be non-partisan or cross-party.
Joining CAPOC is only addressing the symptoms, not the disease.
The government's own Hooper Report admits that the REASON 50,000 local post offices had to be shut was that the EU which runs our budget tells us we are not allowed to spend more than a certain amount on subsidizing them. Why do they need to be subsidized? Because the EU's competition laws impose the necessity of privatising the Royal Mail, whose profits always used to finance the provision of post offices when the two services went in tandem.
Harriet Harman hypocritically tried to deny this EU connection even when asked a straight question in the House of Commons, She said no, it was the Hooper Report but...when you read the Hooper Report, it admits that the EU is behind the whole thing. They cap our spending on necessities here, and squander tens of millions on subsidizing such things as tobacco production in other EU countries.
Many British people prefer to live with their heads buried in the sand. They get angry  >:(when anyone points out that things like PO closure, NHS disasters, ID cards etc are all related to the way that the EU is now dictating our lives. Politicians, whether they are Labour, Libdem or Conservative, blatantly deny it and resort to outright lies.
But it is true.

The No2ID group is another case in point. They think they can oppose EU legislation by holding barbeques and being "non-political". They are just naive. ID cards are part of an EU-wide programme and will be imposed in a uniform way with cards that can be read by machines anywhere in the 27 members states. They will be compulsory and they will NOT be free. Every time you move - or lose the card - you will have to pay for another one.
     The only way to avoid obeying EU orders is to leave the EU. We never voted for EU membership in Britain anyway. We only ever voted for a so-called Common Market and were made many false promises at that time.
If anyone in CAPOC seriously wants to oppose Post Office closures (and there are many more in the pipeline) and Royal Mail privatization, the only way to achieve it is to support a political party which believes in breaking free from the EU.
     I am standing as a candidate in the coming General Election, and it's because I believe in telling the truth about things like this.
   See my webpage
 http://oxfordshire.ukip.org/articles/745-julia-gasper-ukip-ppc-oxford-east

   

[JohnW]

Hi Julia

If you had joined our forum a couple of years ago we may have stood a better chance of getting the message out.  UKIP did support us, which is more than can be said for the other parties, but not enough.

Like most other pressure groups if we had been politically biased we would have alienated strong supporters from all other parties - somewhat counterproductive  I think.  You are, however, correct in saying the best way to get change is from within a party - but which one?  Perhaps more than one?

As ever we remain neutral, but you are welcome to discuss your point of view.

Best of luck with the forthcoming election

John W

[Julia Gasper]

Dear John,
 I appreciate your courteous reply. I would have joined your website before if I had known about it. But one has only limited time and energy in this crowded world.
     I know exactly what you mean about alienating supporters by narrowing it down to particular political labels but I just don't see any way of getting round the fact that this comes from the EU and will only be solved by leaving the EU.
     Maybe your Lib/Lab/Con MP will say yes, yes and express sympathy (as ours did) but what is the point? They don't mean it and they haven't got the power to challenge these laws. Anyone who suggests leaving the EU is immediately labelled as "extremist" and demonized in all sorts of ways.
      I would even question whether it is worth having a large number of signed-up supporters who are not prepared to do anything realistic to achieve their aims. 
            I hope we can still work together,
                                          Julia.

[JohnW]

Hi Julia

With reference to the EU legislation, I did spot somewhere that it was one of our own MPs that started, or at least supported the legislation which is blamed for the demise of the Royal Mail / Post Office  It would appear that the EU is being used for things that our own political parties are too scared to promote under their own banner.  Perhaps you know more.

Re supporters - our sole purpose in keeping going is to provide a platform, and indeed archive, so that those that are interested can see what went on, discuss it in the Forum or Blog if they see fit, and make their own minds up when it comes to voting.  Many thanks at being the first to contribute, perhaps you can point more in our direction.  On a personal note - and I stress personal - I am very tempted to vote for your party, but much can happen in the next few weeks.

John W