I COMMEND Malcolm Clarke (HAS, Jan 14) for his comments and support against the closure of the post office in Consett.

I do however have to remind him that local post offices as we know them were decimated in 2007-8 by the doyen of New Labour, Tony Blair.

It was Mr Blair, in thrall with the EU, who was responsible for the closure of thousands of local post offices around Great Britain resulting in a huge devastating impact on local communities.

It is also significant that in a House of Commons vote in March 2008 only 20 Labour MPs voted against the Blair Government in calling for a delay in the closure of Post Offices.

Mr Blair lived in and among proud Labour voters in Durham’s mining heartland yet was responsible for ripping the heart out of many local communities by way of Post Office closures.

Thankfully he jumped before he was pushed.

J Walker, Newton Aycliffe.