North East Fife’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians, Sir Menzies Campbell MP and Iain Smith MSP have reiterated their call to fight against Post Office closures and have called on the communities affected to make their voices heard.

The Post Office is proposing to close Cupar’s Westport Post Office and the offices at Lower Largo, Newton of Falkland and Scoonie Road in Leven together with a further proposal to change Guardbridge to an outreach Post Office (such as in Springfield).

Sir Menzies and Mr Smith are writing to the Postmasters, residents, community councils and all councillors in the areas affected asking for their views on the proposals from the Post Office.

Commenting, Sir Menzies and Mr Smith said, “We have said it before and we will say it again, Post Offices have an important role to play in peoples lives. They are vital assets for many local people and any closure will cause inconvenience.

“Fife Council must be congratulated on its efforts to help Fife’s Post offices by transferring its bill paying facilities from Local Offices to Post Offices. This kind of innovative thinking has given a boost to services.

“We want to hear from the people affected by these changes and what they think. The consultation period is a chance to make local views know to the Post Office. We hope that this consultation means more than the flawed consultation process instigated for St Andrews Crown Post Office.”

Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead MSP is playing politics with Pittenweem says Lib Dem MP for North East Fife Sir Menzies Campbell.

Commenting on the launch of a consultation document on the Scottish fishing industry today, local MP Sir Menzies Campbell accused Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead of playing politics with Pittenweem.

Sir Menzies said, “I met with senior representatives of the FMA (Fisherman’s Mutual Association) on the 17th April at Pittenweem and thereafter I wrote to Richard Lochhead on 23rd April drawing attention to the plight of fishermen at Pittenweem who could not afford to go to sea because of the price of oil. I asked what proposals he had for the future of the fishing industry.

“I have only had a formal acknowledgement of my letter and no adequate reply. Today he is visiting Pittenweem and making announcements about the fishing industry.

“He chose not to tell either the constituency MP or MSP that he intended to do so. This is a breach of the Ministerial Code and serious discourtesy. SNP Ministers don’t know how to behave. This is not the first time they have failed to observe proper practise when visiting North East Fife. Fishing in Scotland, and in North East Fife in particular is far too important to be treated in this partisan way. After Mr Lochhead’s caravan has moved on, Pittenweem will need more than Ministerial photo opportunities,” concluded Sir Menzies.

The Liberal Democrat Constituency MSP for North East Fife, Iain Smith raised this matter in the Scottish Parliament today as a point of order. Mr Smith said, “Whilst I welcome Mr Lochhead’s recognition of the importance of the village based fishing industry and of Pittenweem in particular, I am deeply concerned at yet another example of discourtesy to this Parliament and its Members by a Government Minister.

“Surely it is a serious discourtesy to the Parliament and the many members who represent fishing communities that Mr Lochhead is making an important announcement of Government fishing policies in Pittenweem and not in Parliament. To the Press and not to the Parliament,” concluded Mr Smith

ENDS

North East Fife’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians Sir Menzies Campbell MP and Iain Smith MSP have vowed to fight against any Post Office closures in North East Fife.

Liberal Democrat MP’s including Menzies Campbell campaigned to stop the government’s Post Office closure programme when a motion was proposed recently in the House of Commons demanding the Government halt their plans to make 2500 branches shut up shop. But enough Labour MPs rallied around the Government’s closure plans to reject the motion and ensure the closure programme can continue unhindered.

Commenting, Menzies Campbell said, “The loss of any local Post Offices will hit communities in North East Fife hard. Post Offices are vital assets for many local people and any closure will likely cause difficulties, particularly for older people and those with mobility problems. We will continue to fight against closures.”

Iain Smith remarked, “Post Offices, rural or urban, have a very important role to play in peoples lives and more must be done to support them. The current system neither benefits consumers nor smaller businesses; it has effectively threatened the existence of the Post Office and Royal Mail.

“Fife Council must be congratulated on its efforts to help Fife’s Post offices by transferring its bill paying facilities from Local Offices to Post Offices. This kind of innovative thinking has given a boost in the services.”

Concluding Sir Menzies and Mr Smith said, “Post Offices are ideally placed to become local access centres for a variety of services such as the successful trial of Police services within rural Post Offices in the East Neuk.”

ENDS

North East Fife Parliamentarians, Iain Smith MSP and Sir Menzies Campbell MP have today launched a new campaign to cut accidents or our roads in North East Fife. The Liberal Democrat campaign, which focuses on the rural nature of North East Fife’s roads aims to ensure that safety for all users is increased by tackling dangerous driving, speeding, the use of seat belts and using mobile phones whilst driving.

The Liberal Democrat campaign “Be Calm, Be Considerate and Be Correct” focuses on four key points:

1- Combating Speeding
2- Increased use of seat belts
3- No to Mobiles whilst driving
4- Greater consideration for all road users

Commenting on the campaign, North East Fife Liberal Democrat MP Sir Menzies Campbell said, “We have seen too many people killed or seriously injured on our roads in recent years. Our rural roads and the variety of road users from tractors and buses to bicycles and horses that use them, mean that drivers have to take particular care.”

Iain Smith MSP commented, “Speeding though our rural villages such as Ceres is of major concern and I have written to the Chief Constable of Fife Constabulary and the Head of Fife Council Transportation Services at ascertain what measures are in place to combat this. I have also written again to BEAR Scotland asking for an update on their Road Accident Reduction Plan with regard to the safety of the A92 through North East Fife”.

Mr Smith remarked on an official study showing that 1 in 10 motorists is failing to wear a seat belt and less than a quarter of Scots see driving at 80 mph in a 70mph zone as a serious offence by calling these statistics “extremely disappointing”.

“The message is simple: You are more likely to be involved in an accident if speeding or using a mobile phone, and more likely to be killed or seriously injured if not wearing a seat belt.” Iain Smith concluded.

ENDS

North East Fife MP, Sir Menzies Campbell opened a new NHS dental surgery in the constituency recently. The practice run by “Partners in Progress” in Auchtermuchty hopes to be fully operational by the middle of March and has already registered over 600 hundred patients with room for over 4000.

Speaking from the opening, Sir Menzies said, “The provision and access to NHS dentists throughout the country is of the utmost importance to the nation’s health.

“This new dental practice is great news for North East Fife. More must be done so that all citizens have the option of dentistry provided by the NHS.”