Pudsey Labour MP Paul Truswell has tabled a Parliamentary motion which reads "this House has no confidence in the credibility or community awareness of Post Office Ltd senior management in respect of the Post Office closure process."

If follows a decision by Post Office bosses to reject pleas to save any of the 22 Leeds branches earmarked for the axe.

In fact, it is likely one further branch will close in the city, bringing the total culled to 23.

Criticism has mounted on the Post Office after residents were given only six weeks to make the case that their branch should be saved.

Leeds West Labour MP John Battle, who was one of 31 MPs to sign the early day motion, said: "They have drilled down and undermined the foundations.

"We are measuring the network on whether it pays up enough – it is the usual numbers game. We should get back to a public services ethos.

"We could wake up in 10 years time and find that 150 years of public services obligation has gone."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Social issues are very carefully considered and a great deal of preparation work is undertaken locally before any proposal is submitted to local public consultation."

He added: "We believe these proposals offer the best prospect for a sustainable way forward for Post Office services, bearing in mind the minimum access criteria and the other factors we have to take into account."

Meanwhile, a report by MPs on the influential business and enterprise select committee raised concerns about how Royal Mail Group funds the Post Office.

The Post Office is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Mail and last year received £358m for providing mail services.

However, Alan Cook, managing director of the Post Office, admitted that this is not enough for the Post Office to make a profit. The MPs said this could be because the Post Office is inefficient.

But they added: "It is also possible that Royal Mail Group is inappropriately using a state-supported part of its business (Post Office Ltd) to cross-subsidise its mail services."

A Department for Business spokesman said: "We will give the committee's report full consideration. However, its key recommendations are for the Independent Review, Postcom and the National Audit office to consider."