Mandelson guarantee "completely worthless"

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.snp.org/node/14691

Mike Weir MP, SNP Postal Affairs Spokesperson, has condemned the reported guarantee being offered by Lord Mandelson to Labour MPs opposing part privatisation of Royal Mail as "completely worthless".

It has been reported that the Business Secretary has sough to buy off potential rebels by offering to insert into the legislation a guarantee that only 33% of Royal Mail will be privatised.

Commenting Mr Weir said

"The maintenance of a comprehensive mail delivery service is essential for Scotland and that could best be achieved by keeping the company in public ownership. We have already seen the chaos that has overtaken the Post Office network by the rush to "liberalisation".

"A similar situation could devastate mail delivery services. The report recommending part privatisation also suggests that local sorting centres could be closed.

"This so called guarantee is completely worthless and could be removed by a vote in Parliament at any time in the future.

"The present Labour government, the Tories and LibDems all favour a part privatisation of Royal Mail. This is the slippery slope that will inevitably lead to greater private involvement in the company and endanger the universal service obligation.

"Royal Mail is a vital public service and the maintenance of the universal service obligation is essential for communities and small businesses throughout Scotland. Many small businesses rely on Royal Mail and any threat to it could be disastrous at a time of recession when it is essential to support small local businesses.

"It is clear that Royal Mail requires investment, but that should be public investment for the future and to ensure a universal service."

[fmrPOSTIE]

"This so called guarantee is completely worthless and could be removed by a vote in Parliament at any time in the future.

As i've been saying all along; if they're willing to break their current pledge and privatise what they claimed a few months ago would be 100% public, this "pledge" is an insult to peoples intelligence...

[DGP1]

Does anyone believe what comes out of :mfo mouth anyway . This is just a short term buy off and as such should be rejected out of hand.

[BELIAL]

A con mans paradise.
33% of RM's what -
Profit?
workforce ?
revenue ?
capital assets ?

[terrace]

Back door Privatisation.Don't believe a word Mandelson says.The 100 or so rebels should not compromise and effectively be bought off by Mandelson's so called concessions.The rebels shouldn't accept any concessions at all.If 33 per cent is handed over to a private company,the Govt. will wait and then claim the whole thing a success,then hand over even more of Royal Mail to private enterprise.The result being that Royal Mail is a private company by stealth.Don't forget the Pension can be dipped into by the Govt.even though they can only take 10 per cent without permission ,no doubt they will change the rukes to suit themselves.

[Big Daz]

All they are doing is opening the door to the conservatives to sell off more if they so wish to do so.

If conservatives or any other party win in 17 months time the concessions are worthless, as the new government can put forward anything it wants to for its nice juicy majority to vote yes to.!!!!

[bexhil palace]

Does anyone believe what comes out of :mfo mouth anyway . This is just a short term buy off and as such should be rejected out of hand.

I can't believe what's going in.

[stokes11eg]

Back door Privatisation.Don't believe a word Mandelson says.The 100 or so rebels should not compromise and effectively be bought off by Mandelson's so called concessions.The rebels shouldn't accept any concessions at all.If 33 per cent is handed over to a private company,the Govt. will wait and then claim the whole thing a success,then hand over even more of Royal Mail to private enterprise.The result being that Royal Mail is a private company by stealth.Don't forget the Pension can be dipped into by the Govt.even though they can only take 10 per cent without permission ,no doubt they will change the rukes to suit themselves.

just what I;ve been saying for the past two years, sell bits off, buy them back,same company, different name,
completely different working conditions for the valient few of the old workers who choose to remain.It will happen.