The Conservative Party has failed in its bid to prevent the closure of 2,500 post offices.

The Conservatives lost a vote to suspend the closures by 268 to 288 in the House of Commons last night. Some 19 Labour MPs voted with the Conservatives.

The Post Office is planning to close 2,500 loss-making post offices nationwide by 2009. As many as 90 Labour MPs are fighting the closures in their own constituencies, according to the Daily Telegraph.