Now Brown retreats on Royal Mail

[stokes11eg]

Hey- True blue, just heard on the news thar Gordon brown seems set to back down on plans to privatise.
Do you think this is for real, or just a stalling tactic to head of a strike?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hey- True blue, just heard on the news thar Gordon brown seems set to back down on plans to privatise.
Do you think this is for real, or just a stalling tactic to head of a strike?

Actually I attended a rally in Leeds today with 2 MPs (Fabian Hamilton & John Grogan) with Jane Loftus of the CWU (good laugh) and they said that we are knocking at an open door and they think there is a definite possibility of Brown/Mandelson being defeated in Parliament over it. They think that at least 90 Labour MPs will rebel and that even with the Conuseratives voting with the government they don't think its an assured win for Mandy.

It was also mentioned in conversations afterwards (not the MPs) that Brown may be willing to change the bill if a different way can be found, although it seems as though Mandy is pulling the strings and is using this as an "Appear Strong" strategy and does not want to cave. Hopefully the posturing will stop soon and the privatisation part of the bill can be dropped.

Also apparently the disaffilliation questions is starting to worry some high level Labour Party members and the 2 MPs suggested that the next 3 weeks could be a seminal moment in the Labour Party and all and any emails, letters or face to face representations will place pressure on Labour MPs and could (in their words) "Tip the Balance" - "Its all to play for" - SO come on people start annoying your MPs.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 211823.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

GORDON BROWN was preparing for a third embarrassing climbdown last night as the government signalled full-scale retreat over plans to privatise the Royal Mail.

Following last week’s defeats over the Gurkhas and MPs’ expenses, allies of the prime minister said that the controversial scheme to sell off part of the postal service would be “kicked into the very long grass”.

Labour whips have told the prime minister that, with his authority badly damaged, a Commons defeat over the Royal Mail would be “inevitable” if he put it to the vote.

The decision will infuriate Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, who has claimed his proposals would bring a “gale force of fresh air” into the loss-making postal service.

Yesterday, Pat McFadden, the post office minister and Mandelson’s deputy, insisted privatisation was still on track. The business secretary has drawn up a compromise “John Lewis plan” which would see the Royal Mail turned into a partnership part-owned by its workers, like the store chain.

However, a source close to Brown said: “Maybe a month ago this sort of plan might have worked, but the middle ground has fallen away. The rebellion is too strong and entrenched. We cannot afford to be left in a position where we are relying on Tory support.”

Around 150 Labour MPs have signed a Commons motion condemning the plan to sell up to 30% of the Royal Mail to a foreign rival such as Dutch-owned TNT.

The government had planned to put the proposals to a vote after the June 4 European elections. Sources close to Brown believe that a full debate is now unlikely until after the party conferences in October.

With the prime minister facing heavy criticism over his clumsy leadership style, Labour MPs warned that he could face a formal challenge if the party slides into third place in next month’s European elections.

Leftwinger Alan Simpson said: “Everything will be determined over the summer. Already I come across significant numbers of Labour MPs whose views are that they must try to save themselves.

“If we go into the summer on a continuing tailspin it won’t be long before someone says that the only prospect of limiting defeat is to go for the sympathy vote by having someone different from Gordon leading the party.”

While most MPs say the prospects of a leadership challenge have receded since last year, a large minority believe that a “stop the rot” caretaker leader might be necessary.

Alan Johnson, the health secretary, is seen as the most likely successor. Yesterday, in an interview, Johnson described himself as an “admirer” of Brown but he refused to give a direct answer when asked if he could be “persuaded to be the saviour of the party”.

One MP who voted against the government over the Gurkhas last week said: “Gordon is like a suicide bomber who seems intent on blowing himself up as he puts his arms around us.”

Senior Labour figures have privately called for the return of one or more “big beasts” who can offer Brown better strategic advice and help him avoid the pitfalls of the past week. David Blunkett and John Reid, the former home secretaries, have both been tipped for comebacks.

According to one minister who is a confidant of the prime minister, Brown’s judgment has been impaired by sleep deprivation: “He is trapped in this Calvinist vicious cycle where the worse his position, the harder he works and the less he sleeps; and, of course, the less he sleeps the worse his judgment becomes.”

John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, yesterday led the loyalist fight-back with highly personal attacks on Labour MPs who have criticised Brown.

Prescott challenged Charles Clarke, the former home secretary who last week said recent events had made him “ashamed” to be a Labour MP, to leave the party.

“Charles, if you are ashamed to be in the party, it’s obvious what you should do,” he said.

Prescott suggested Blunkett, who had said Brown lacked “political antennae”, was more interested in watching football than fighting for the party.

“I asked David if he’d come out campaigning and he said he couldn’t because he was going to a football match. Fine, but then \ goes and makes a speech in Doncaster, attacking [Brown].

“What I am saying is, let’s have the debate among ourselves. David, come and join me on the campaign, for God’s sake.”

Jack Straw, the justice secretary, in a speech to his local Blackburn party, called for an end to Labour defeatism.

“We all need to focus on what brought us into politics, not get dragged into narrow arguments which risk the charge that we are out of touch,” he said.

“Every minute people spend talking down our chances of winning the next election is a moment they could be spending working to win the next election.”

Meanwhile, Labour whips are growing increasingly anxious about the possibility of another parliamentary defeat by peers this week.

They fear the Lords will throw out government plans to ban the display of cigarettes in shops amid fears that it could have a serious impact on small businesses.

[stokes11eg]

The real worry now is, if labour do back down on this, then go to the polls, and lose, another party may still go ahead
and privatise.

[wakkono]

My Tory mp refused to sign the EDM!

[fmrPOSTIE]

the Govt want to introduce a "John Lewis" style partnership as some others such as the Lib Dems suggested! I said at the beginning of all this that i couldn't see it going through. Both tory govt's tried to privatise RM in the dying moments and look what happened....

I think if GB went ahead with any form of share sale it would be the end of him...

[apple]

one of the lads got a letter back from our tory MP, said if it was up to them they would fully privatise it!
was keen enough to be seen outside POs saying he was fighting for them to be kept open as it is a vital service in a rural area

[borders]

hes like i boxer on the ropes with only one last breath, one more big punch and its a Knock- OUT !!!

[Broxi51]

hes like i boxer on the ropes with only one last breath, one more big punch and its a Knock- OUT !!!

Where's the queue?

[belle smith]

one of the lads got a letter back from our tory MP, said if it was up to them they would fully privatise it!
was keen enough to be seen outside POs saying he was fighting for them to be kept open as it is a vital service in a rural area

at least you know were you stand with him. and there are no plans to privitise the PO network, just the letters buisness, personnally think that the PO networks accounts should be taken out of our figures as politicians of all parties are adament that they should kept open (particulary in thier constituancy)
but are more than happy to have thier losses & subsidey included in RM group figures!!!

[norbert]

Hey- True blue, just heard on the news thar Gordon brown seems set to back down on plans to privatise.
Do you think this is for real, or just a stalling tactic to head of a strike?

Actually I attended a rally in Leeds today with 2 MPs (Fabian Hamilton & John Grogan) with Jane Loftus of the CWU (good laugh) and they said that we are knocking at an open door and they think there is a definite possibility of Brown/Mandelson being defeated in Parliament over it. They think that at least 90 Labour MPs will rebel and that even with the Conuseratives voting with the government they don't think its an assured win for Mandy.

It was also mentioned in conversations afterwards (not the MPs) that Brown may be willing to change the bill if a different way can be found, although it seems as though Mandy is pulling the strings and is using this as an "Appear Strong" strategy and does not want to cave. Hopefully the posturing will stop soon and the privatisation part of the bill can be dropped.

Also apparently the disaffilliation questions is starting to worry some high level Labour Party members and the 2 MPs suggested that the next 3 weeks could be a seminal moment in the Labour Party and all and any emails, letters or face to face representations will place pressure on Labour MPs and could (in their words) "Tip the Balance" - "Its all to play for" - SO come on people start annoying your MPs.

you've certainly got a point TBT , the Tories at Central Office - Smith Square have a list of seats and they are diverting resources away from winnable seats to more marginal Labour seats ; there is a lot of very nervous New Labour MP's .

[Big Daz]

Charles Clarke among them, who has not just the usual big two (Conservatives and Lib Dems) pushing to oust him but the Green party in Norwich as well.

The green vote in Norwich south last year' local elections was greater than the Labour vote.

As Norwich GP have grown in terms of the number of cllrs they have and the total number of votes they get in local elections, CC gets more and more vocal against the Government.

The question is, is it just a coincidence?

I wonder what odds the bookies will be offering next year in Norwich south?

[norbert]

Charles Clarke among them, who has not just the usual big two (Conservatives and Lib Dems) pushing to oust him but the Green party in Norwich as well.

The green vote in Norwich south last year' local elections was greater than the Labour vote.

As Norwich GP have grown in terms of the number of cllrs they have and the total number of votes they get in local elections, CC gets more and more vocal against the Government.

The question is, is it just a coincidence?

I wonder what odds the bookies will be offering next year in Norwich south?

I like the return of " the big beasts " , some more " retread ministers " - The Sheffield Stud & very social secretary ( who bankrupted the Socialist Republic of Sheffield & Rotherham in his more " lefty days ) " Blunkett famed for getting the publisher of that well known Socialist Rag - " The Spectator " up the duff , the pitbull attack dog Reid .

It's one in the eye for another retread Minister & rabid Europhile :mfo though , all :mfo is interested in is his Neo Liberal chums with their fat cat privatization agenda with the unelected and undemocratic European Commission who are trying to do as much damage to it's member states as Hitler did in WW2 .

Lets face it his attack dogs :lfo & :cfo that he put in to soften the CWU up , haven't actually been a resounding success .

Then in the middle calling for unity and calm is Two Jags Prescott , he wasn't too keen on Unity & Loyalty when they were all bringing their memoirs books out .

What a farce !