Don't abandon Royal Mail plans

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As the horse-trading begins over the future of Royal Mail, more is at stake than just the embattled Prime Minister's authority.

Mr Brown urgently needs to head off a Commons rebellion over Lord Mandelson's proposed partial privatisation of the service if he is to reassert his grip over his party.

But the Post Office will still be with us when Mr Brown is long gone. It should not be treated as a political football.

The rise of email, payment of benefits into bank accounts and changes ordered by the EU competition authorities have shrunk its business. It desperately needs new capital in order to modernise.

Jobs have to go to get costs down - but the heavily-unionised workforce has a long history of industrial action. Meanwhile, the public simply wants a Post Office that works.

Successive governments have shirked the hard decisions that are necessary to keep Royal Mail competitive. The Conservatives fought shy of a privatisation that could have closed many rural post offices. But that is no excuse for failing to modernise effectively now.

The Government is reportedly considering an alternative ownership structure like that of Network Rail, a not-for-profit company without private shareholders.

That, however, would be a bad precedent. The Network Rail board is a committee of 110 faceless individuals supposedly representing industry and users but in fact far too unwieldy to offer effective leadership. At Royal Mail, such a board would never be able to take the hard decisions now needed to modernise.

Part-privatisation, probably involving a sale to TNT, formerly the Dutch post office, would at least bring in new management skills. If that solution is ditched because Mr Brown has to appease a few backbenchers, we will all be the losers.

Heathrow doubts
Never again can it be claimed that the whole of the business world wants a third runway at Heathrow. A group including the chief executive of Sainsbury's, Justin King, and Carphone Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone, has stated in an open letter that the benefits of the third runway are unproven, while the environmental effects would be damaging. They urge ministers to abandon the plan and concentrate on high-speed rail services.

This newspaper has always believed Londoners would pay a high price in terms of increased noise, emissions and traffic congestion from a third runway, while service could be improved by more competition between airports.

Runway capacity could be freed up if flights to Paris and Brussels, already well served by rail, were reduced. Likewise, rail services to domestic destinations should be improved to reduce the need for internal flights.

The business case for a third runway always had more to do with the profits of BAA and BA than the needs of the economy as a whole.

Some now claim links between some of the letter-writers and the Conservatives, who plan to cancel the third runway. The fact remains, however, that proponents of expansion have not yet made a clear economic case. Ministers should think again.

London pride
Most Londoners will surely agree with the Mayor's verdict on TripAdvisor's negative comments about London - "baffling". A survey conducted by the US travel website claims to find London dirty, badly dressed and the worst in Europe for food.

Can they be talking about the same city we live in? London's vast range of restaurants and the excellence of the best draws plaudits even from New York; its role as a capital of fashion is internationally acknowledged.

The online whingers are outnumbered: more than 26 million people visited the capital last year. London is the most vibrant and dynamic city in Europe - and the world knows it.

[not me]

Jobs have to go to get costs down - but the heavily-unionised workforce has a long history of industrial action. Meanwhile, the public simply wants a Post Office that works.

oh really?

[dvbuk55]

Jobs have to go to get costs down - but the heavily-unionised workforce has a long history of industrial action. Meanwhile, the public simply wants a Post Office that works.

oh really?

More than the 50,000 already lost? Note what it says about bringing in new management skills - putting the blame firmly where it belongs.

[BELIAL]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do


, payment of benefits into bank accounts and changes ordered by the EU competition authorities have shrunk its business.

Do I detect a whiff of hypocrisy ,in order to modernize we must take trade away from our public service that made a part year profit in excess of £200 million and give it to those wonderfully efficient free market bankers who the public have been forced to subsidize to the tune of £700 billion. If you want to talk about gravy trains, this syphoning off of public funds to the fat cats has got to be the biggest one around
That'll be another £200 million shortfall in public revenue that Gordy will try to recoup from our taxes while the fat cat banker parasites stash their ill gotten gains in offshore tax havens,true they will have some outlay employing creative accountants to conjure up some elaborate tax avoidance schemes.

[Night Tonic]

Correction. It wasn't the public service that made a profit. Business mail yes but public no.

[axeman]

if you had no public then you'd have no mail business or other........ what a scenario eh night tonic

[tomangoe]

Interesting that in the latest "Courier" it mentions that Royal Mails Management expertize has just finished its 5 year Modernisation of Hong Kong postal system! Who's foolin' who?

[k979aaa]

Correction. It wasn't the public service that made a profit. Business mail yes but public no.

If you are told the price for which you could sell your services you would be as bankrupt financially as morally ignorant too the cause and effect of royalmail's policies which you so vehemently support!.

[norbert]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do


, payment of benefits into bank accounts and changes ordered by the EU competition authorities have shrunk its business.

Do I detect a whiff of hypocrisy ,in order to modernize we must take trade away from our public service that made a part year profit in excess of £200 million and give it to those wonderfully efficient free market bankers who the public have been forced to subsidize to the tune of £700 billion. If you want to talk about gravy trains, this syphoning off of public funds to the fat cats has got to be the biggest one around
That'll be another £200 million shortfall in public revenue that Gordy will try to recoup from our taxes while the fat cat banker parasites stash their ill gotten gains in offshore tax havens,true they will have some outlay employing creative accountants to conjure up some elaborate tax avoidance schemes.

[k979aaa]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do


, payment of benefits into bank accounts and changes ordered by the EU competition authorities have shrunk its business.

Do I detect a whiff of hypocrisy ,in order to modernize we must take trade away from our public service that made a part year profit in excess of £200 million and give it to those wonderfully efficient free market bankers who the public have been forced to subsidize to the tune of £700 billion. If you want to talk about gravy trains, this syphoning off of public funds to the fat cats has got to be the biggest one around
That'll be another £200 million shortfall in public revenue that Gordy will try to recoup from our taxes while the fat cat banker parasites stash their ill gotten gains in offshore tax havens,true they will have some outlay employing creative accountants to conjure up some elaborate tax avoidance schemes.

The thing is Norbert is we will all pay for it the taxpayer the royalmail pension holder and the employees of good old royalmail with it's corrupt and decadent board and the government of this nation (NEW LABOUR) which gives more and more too the rich and steals from the poor postmen/women of this nation!.

[norbert]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do


, payment of benefits into bank accounts and changes ordered by the EU competition authorities have shrunk its business.

Do I detect a whiff of hypocrisy ,in order to modernize we must take trade away from our public service that made a part year profit in excess of £200 million and give it to those wonderfully efficient free market bankers who the public have been forced to subsidize to the tune of £700 billion. If you want to talk about gravy trains, this syphoning off of public funds to the fat cats has got to be the biggest one around
That'll be another £200 million shortfall in public revenue that Gordy will try to recoup from our taxes while the fat cat banker parasites stash their ill gotten gains in offshore tax havens,true they will have some outlay employing creative accountants to conjure up some elaborate tax avoidance schemes.

The thing is Norbert is we will all pay for it the taxpayer the royalmail pension holder and the employees of good old royalmail with it's corrupt and decadent board and the government of this nation (NEW LABOUR) which gives more and more too the rich and steals from the poor postmen/women of this nation!.

they're just dictated to by the undemocratic and unelected European Commission , there is a corporate fat cat agenda for cartels and punishing the poor for the likes of Fred the Shred's mistakes .
The irony is that Cameron will be even worse , all about looking after their own & shafting everyone else .

[Night Tonic]

Correction. It wasn't the public service that made a profit. Business mail yes but public no.

If you are told the price for which you could sell your services you would be as bankrupt financially as morally ignorant too the cause and effect of royalmail's policies which you so vehemently support!.

I don't support theirs OR yours:) As for poor postmen, who are you trying to kid.

[BELIAL]

Nearly crashed my Bentley into my schooner when I read that

[baldrick]

You mean you can't afford a chauffeur?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I don't support theirs OR yours:) As for poor postmen, who are you trying to kid.

Certainly not the ones on 20 hour or less contracts they already know they are poor.