EU national monopolies directive

[capheaton]

I have been writing to my local MP and pointing out that one of the major factors behind rural post office closures has been the EU's national monopolies directive, whereby the Royal Mail has been forced to share its business with foreign postal delivery companies. The result of this is that the profitable side of the business can no longer support the areas where service to the community plays a more important role. It's a simple equation but he refuses to acknowledge this.

In his last letter he argues "...it is obvious that with the decline in the volume of mail with the increase of email, etc, their revenues are going down. Compared with TNT and Deutsche Post the Royal Mail is grossly inefficient and still sorts vastly more mail by hand, whereas in Germany and Holland some 85% of mail is sorted automatically".

I would argue that email has had a profound effect on all postal services all over the world, not just the Royal Mail. However, I have no figures to compare automatic sorting to manual sorting. (I would argue, incidentally, that automation results in a rise in unemployment but that's a whole other can of worms that I don't want to get into here!)

He continues, "In order for Royal Mail to survive it must modernise, reduce its staff, increase productivity, deal with the huge pension deficit and raise capital investment. It cannot do this unless part of it is sold to the private sector. Whether that private sector comes from the UK or the EU remains to be seen".

My MP regurgitates the party line about how to cure the Royal Mail's problems but I would point out that there were fewer such problems before the long-running public service was fragmented by political ideology. Of course I agree with modernisation but surely that should not mean the same as destruction. I also find it interesting that, despite his federalist credentials, in his mind the UK and the EU are separate entities (if only that were so!)

[POSTMAN]

Your MP is a c***.

Moved to Blue Shirts forum,and welcome capheaton.

[norbert]

Your MP is a c***.

Moved to Blue Shirts forum,and welcome capheaton.

think he wants to be a Junior Minister before " Etonian Dave " & his old class - mates take over ?

[capheaton]

It's not just him though is it? They will ALL toe the party line - whichever side of the fence they're on - because they're out of a job if they don't. I don't think it's news anymore that they're only looking after their own pay packets (and pay rises!!!). Nice job if you can get it! That's the problem when politics becomes a profession. They stop listening to the electorate and bow to the party. Though that's a joke too because the party's bosses are a multi-national elite in Brussels. If I was being cynical I'd say that our politicians are all lining their pockets as fast as they can before the EU takes over for good and they find themselves out of work.
My greatest fear is that Royal Mail will go the way of the British steel industry, British shipbuilding, the British fishing industry...do I have to go on? What happens if Royal Mail disappears? Will the foreign suppliers of British postal services hike our prices up with impunity just as the French did with our electricity and gas, whilst at the same time protecting their own country from price rises? Can someone tell me what's wrong with Britain running it's own industries and services? Are we all supposed to sit on the dole while foreign companies bleed the wealth out of this country? Enough's enough.

[bedfordrl]

Well said.