LEYTON and Wanstead MP Harry Cohen voted against a Conservative motion calling for a rethink on Post office closures.

Labour rebels came within 11 votes of forcing the postponement yesterday of plans to close 2,500 branches, including 11 in Waltham Forest and Redbridge.

The proposal to suspend the programme to enable further consultation was defeated by just 20 votes, as 19 Labour MPs revolted, slashing the Government's majority by two thirds.

Mr Cohen said: "I looked carefully at the motions, especially the two main ones - Conservative and Labour.

In effect it is a straight choice between the two.

"Generally I have a lot of sympathy with what is in the Tory motion. However, as Gordon Brown pointed out at Prime Minister's questions, the Tories do not say they would commit to any funding for the post office network.

"That makes much of what they put in their motion hollow. Without supportive funding, as the Labour Government is supplying, the situation would be worse than now.

"I therefore voted against the Conservative motion and for the Labour one. However, I have personally met with the Government Whip and said the consultation period is too short and should be extended.

"London Mayor Ken Livingstone has also made this point. Also that the criteria used must properly take into account areas with high levels of deprivation and high usage of the post offices in those areas.

"It does not do so at present. Those post offices should not close.

"The Whip promised me to communicate these essential points to Government Ministers to try to achieve a change in policy in these respects.

"I shall still be making strong representations on behalf of the two post offices in my area which are under threat."

The motion was supported by all Tory and Liberal Democrat MPs, including Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith.