Robertson slams Royal Mail privatisation proposals

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Moray politicians are fighting changes to the Royal Mail and Post Office in a Bill currently being debated in Parliament.


Moray politicians are attacking what they are describing as a ‘Thoroughly bad bill’ that is currently being put before the UK Government. The Postal Services Bill aims to privatise the Royal Mail and mutualise the Post Office.

First announced in May, the bill makes provision for the restructuring of the Royal Mail Group and the Royal Mail Pension Plan, and proposes new provisions for the regulation of postal services throughout the United Kingdom. It will allow the unrestricted sale of shares in the Royal Mail including provision of an employee share scheme.

While the proposals make provision for Post Office Ltd to remain in full public ownership, it does make possible a future move to a mutual ownership scheme. It also provides for the transfer of Royal Mail’s historic pension deficit to the Government, and changes to the regulatory framework transferring responsibility from Postcomm to Ofcom.

Earlier this week opponents of the Bill organised a rally in London as the proposals passed through the Committee stages at the Westminster Parliament. At the rally, Moray MP Angus Robertson described the proposals as “A thoroughly bad bill”, adding that it was an indictment on Business Secretary Vince Cable that he had produced a bill that went further than even Margaret Thatcher dared to go. Mr Robertson said:

“Ministers seem completely unable or unwilling to grasp the fact that Royal Mail cannot be viewed as simply another company to be bought and sold. Its importance to communities across Moray and, indeed, the whole country cannot be underestimated.

“The fundamental issue is consecutive Governments’ failures to recognise that Royal Mail is not just a business but it is a vital national institution that has a massive social function on which many of our citizens and small business depends.

“The only people who have benefited from the past so called liberalisation of postal services have been big businesses whilst people in areas like Moray, especially rural Moray, have had restricted services and higher prices.

“This is a thoroughly bad bill which poses a real threat to the continuation of the universal service obligation that is so important to many areas, and to local post offices.”

“The SNP believe firmly that our postal services should remain in public ownership and we will continue to fight this bill.”

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead joined his Westminster colleague in attacking the proposals, pointing out that time and again people in Moray have demonstrated their support for the postal service. Mr Lochhead said:

“With the recent severe weather we have a classic example of the social function of Royal Mail whose postal workers have fought their way through snow drifts with many of them keeping a weather eye on their vulnerable customers.

“This bill is full of holes and ministers seem to be simply crossing their fingers and hoping that Post Office Limited will survive on its own. There is absolutely nothing in the bill that guarantees a continuing business relationship between Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail which is simply unacceptable.”