KIRKLEES Council's Conservative leader has warned that 30 post offices in the district could close.
Clr Robert Light accused incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown of holding sham consultations on the issue.
His warning came after the Government announced that a fifth of the country's post offices - some 2,500 - would close within two years.
Clr Light said: "These cuts will have a significant impact in Kirklees. Around 30 post offices have closed locally in the last few years and I would expect 20 to 30 more will now follow.
"This decision is a clear signal that Gordon Brown intends to ignore public opinion and undertake sham consultations.
"The Government clearly doesn't appreciate that post offices are vital to the social fabric of villages."
He added that the Government had undermined post offices by removing some of their functions.
He said: "Many decisions, such as the removal of benefit payments, have contributed to the losses being made by many post offices.
"In Kirklees we have tried to ensure the survival of our post offices by pushing work their way.
"We will continue to fight for their survival but I'm afraid this announcement signals the death knell for many of our post offices and their communities."
