Labour put another nail in the coffin of our Post Offices this week when it blocked a Conservative motion in Parliament that would have suspended government plans to shut 2,500 Post Offices, including many in our local area.

But yet again Labour MPs closed ranks to stop action being taken to save our Post Offices.

Time and time again Labour has rejected Conservative moves to try and keep our Post Offices open. Our Post Offices need to be freed from the regulations restricting their freedom that are forcing them out of business.

As far back as 1999 we were trying to get the government to free our Post Offices from this red tape straightjacket. Labour rejected action to save Post Offices then, with support from local Lib Dem MP Norman Baker by the way, and today they continue to ignore the damage the loss of Post Offices is doing to communities across the UK.

Will Labour see sense before our Post Offices become no more than a memory?

Caroline Spelman, Conservative Party Chairman, introduced members to the idea of Friends of the Party at a lively meeting in Lewes on Monday where she met with senior members of the Lewes Constituency Party.

Mrs Spelman told members about the brand new way of becoming a member. She explained “by becoming a Friend, you will be helping us campaign for the change people in the Lewes Constituency really want. Donate as much or as little as you like, and help us to get rid of this incompetent Labour Government at the next election.”

“As a Friend you will receive a weekly newsletter and regular updates on how to get involved in your local community- for example in one of our Social Action Projects. You will also get access to our new Affinity Programme, which will give you discounts on a great range of products.”

Mrs Spelman said “This Constituency has been transformed over the last 18 months to become a well organised and enthusiastic Conservative Organisation. They can now give excellent support to our local Councillors and in particular to the candidate Jason Sugarman whenever an election is called. We intend to win Lewes.”

This is the third Shadow Minister to visit our Constituency this year. This demonstrates that the Conservative Party regards our Constituency as very important and shows the local people that voting Conservative in the next election will really make a difference for them.

Last Wednesday MP’s rejected the opportunity to grasp their last chance at forcing a referendum on the unpopular EU Lisbon Treaty. The local Liberal Democrat MP surprised locals by abstaining from the vote.

It is with regret that I believe the vast majority of voters in Lewes, Newhaven, Polegate, Seaford and the surrounding villages have been let down by their Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament. He has voted to abstain in the referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon rather than follow David Cameron and the Conservatives’ lead calling for a referendum on this important treaty.

What I find even more surprising is that both the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats both offered a referendum on the EU Constitution, which now reappeared as the Treaty, in their party manifestos for the last general election. They have now broken their promises to the electorate. This now deprives the people in the Lewes Constituency of a right to vote in a referendum.

There is a great lack of public discussion and debate about the specifics of the Treaty of Lisbon. It transfers to the EU authority over Visa, asylum and immigration policy, sea and air transport, energy strategy, the co-ordination of economic policy and the regulation of financial institutions (other than insurance companies). It also enables the EU to harmonise civil and criminal law and rules of police procedure across Europe. While Britain’s autonomy with regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights is respected, the purpose of the charter is harmonise European industrial relations law.

It is these measures that would make me fight for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. It is a real shame that the Liberal Democrats and in particular, our member of parliament are opposing a referendum. This will mean loosing control over these very important laws and regulations for ever. They are playing political games with our future.