Stephen Young's excellent article highlights the hypocrisy of local Labour MPs Celia Barlow, David Lepper and Michael Foster (The Argus, March 21).

To join demonstrators outside threatened post offices and subsequently vote against them in Parliament is desperate opportunism.

This is not the first time this has happened. The recent hospital closure plans actually saw cabinet members demonstrating outside threatened hospitals. In fairness several Labour members supported the parliamentary move to halt post office closures. However, the actions of local members was deplorable.

Northern Rock has received funding exceeding the health or defence budgets. A tiny fraction of the money injected into Northern Rock could have saved most of the threatened post offices.

Nationally the Labour party accepts it has little chance of holding most of its southern seats. Kemptown, Hove, Crawley and Hastings and Rye have wafer thin majorities and a slightest rise in Conservative support will unseat the current members.

  • Richard J Szypulski, Lavender Street, Brighton

    Stephen Young is completely justified in accusing our local MPs of hypocrisy. Perhaps we should ask the Labour Party chairmen in the MPs' constituencies whether they also support their MPs and agree with the post office closures in their areas? If they do not support the closures, what action are they taking against their MPs?

Why didn't the MPs call for the sacking of Post Office chairman Allan Leighton and chief executive Adam Crozier?

It is the taxpayers who are the shareholders of the Post Office and the MPs who are their mouthpieces but they are not acting as the shareholders wish.

  • B Bayliss, Mornington Crescent, Hove

"Sending it should be as easy as selling it," the leaflet read. Well, it was - before my local post office closed. So where is my new "local"

post office? According to the leaflet, it's in St George's Road, Kemp Town - two miles away.

Come on Brighton and Hove City Council, follow the example of Essex County Council and reopen our community post offices. It's not easy sending a parcel by internet.

  • Alan (Fred) Pipes, Gerard Street, Brighton
    I would like to thank all my customers for their support, in the form of letters and petitions, when it was announced Old Shoreham Post Office was to be closed.

Unfortunately the closure went ahead and I would like to thank everyone for the cards, gifts and flowers I received on leaving.

I will miss you all.

  • Caroline Cooke, Old Shoreham Post Office