AMBER Valley MP Judy Mallaber has been criticised for voting against a move to suspend post office closures.
The Conservative Party demanded a debate on its proposal to suspend the closure of 2,500 post offices nationwide, including 11 in Amber Valley.
The motion was defeated by 268 to 288 in the House of Commons with at least 19 Labour MPs voting with t
he Conservatives but Judy Mallaber stood by her party despite campaigning against the closures last year.
Ms Mallaber said: "I voted against the motion as the Tories are just playing political games on this serious issue.
"Their motion did not include any indication that they would spend extra money to keep open all the post offices.
"The government motion pledged continuing financial support for the post office network with investment of £1.7 billion up until 2011, including an annual subsidy of £150 million.
"The Tory motion was just political point scoring without any mention of money or indeed any commitment at all to find the means to pay for it or what it would cost the taxpayer.
"In the consultation I made arguments for a number of our post offices and am disappointed at the closures but several subpostmasters told me that they think their branches are not viable.
"This may look like a good campaign for the Tories, but I hope people will not be taken in. It is totally hypocritical unless the Tories commit themselves not just to matching the huge continuing subsidy promised by Labour, but putting in extra money on top."
Conservative leader of Ripley Town Council Juliette Blake, who campaigned against the closure of a Post Office in Heage, said: "At the end of the day you have to do whatever the electorate want and Judy didn't do that. I'm happy to put my head above the parapit and go against my own party sometimes if it's the right thing to do."
Jonathan Cauldwell of Sovereign Way Heanor said: "I thought the whole point of our electoral system was that our local MP was supposed to represent the interests of her constituents, not those of Gordon Brown and his inner circle.
"Perhaps we should reflect upon this when Judy Mallaber asks for our votes at the next general election."
The full article contains 386 words and appears in Ripley & Heanor News newspaper.
