Salmond calls for flotation delay until after referendum

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Alex Salmond calls for Royal Mail flotation delay until after referendum

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... s-24100362" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has called for a moratorium on the privatisation of Royal Mail until after the independence referendum.

The UK government intends to privatise the service with a flotation on the London Stock Exchange "in the coming weeks".

Royal Mail has faced upheaval with job losses and price rises in recent years.

Mr Salmond said privatisation could have a serious impact on the Scottish economy and rural communities.

The Scottish government has already said it opposes privatisation.

The people of Scotland go to the polls on Thursday, 18 September, 2014, to vote in the Scottish independence referendum.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland programme, the first minister said: "I want a moratorium on the sell off of the Royal Mail to allow the people of Scotland, when they vote next year, to come to a decision on whether that national asset should stay in public hands or be hived off as the London government intend to do at the present moment.

"I am demanding from the Prime Minister - rather than pre-judge and attempt to pre-empt the decision of the Scottish people in a year's time - a moratorium on the sell off to allow the people of Scotland to decide what we want to do with that great national asset."

Mr Salmond said "8% and more" of the Royal Mail was "owned by the people of Scotland".

He added: "What right has David Cameron and George Osborne to sell off our bit of the Royal Mail before the people of Scotland have the opportunity to take assets like that into Scotland's hands and take a decision about how we want to run public assets in this country?"

Private investment
Royal Mail has insisted that private investment offers the service an "opportunity to grow".

A spokeswoman said: "We already have the largest UK delivery network and we are one of the most trusted companies in the UK. But we need to make significant investment to stay ahead of the competition.

"The government's financial position means that this investment must come from the private sector."

Unions have threatened strike action over the privatisation.

The general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has said that a ballot of postal workers will lead to industrial action.

Billy Hayes told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that he was "absolutely confident" of a yes vote.

Commenting on Mr Salmond's call for a moratorium on the privatisation until after next year's referendum, a CWU spokesman added: "We welcome Alex Salmond's intervention.

"We agree with him. It's good to see him agreeing with the 70% of the public who oppose the sale."

Shares offer
The government last week gave formal notice to the stock exchange of plans to privatise the Royal Mail "in the coming weeks".

Royal Mail staff will get 10% of the shares. The public and institutional investors will be able to purchase the rest.

The minimum amount members of the public can buy in shares will be £750.

Free shares will be given to 150,000 UK-based Royal Mail employees, who will be able to apply for additional shares under an employee priority offer, with a minimum application of £500.

BBC business editor Robert Peston said he expected the sale to take place in November.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the UK government's scheme will not affect the universal service.

"What this does is bring more money into the Royal Mail," he told the Sunday Politics Scotland programme.

"For years under Labour thousands of jobs were lost, many sub post offices closed. We stopped that decline, we've protected sub post offices, we're investing in Royal Mail through this process.

"This will be good for Royal Mail. It will make it flourish."

[Shambles]

Nice one

[barbario]

It will be interesting to see how much contempt the Government have for the Scottish people.

[Lounge Lizard]

It will be interesting to see how much contempt the Government have for the Scottish people.

Probably more than they deserve.

[Shambles]

It will be interesting to see how much contempt the Government have for the Scottish people.

Probably more than they deserve.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_5XvBYfxU_dM/TdvJH ... imgmax=800" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

       “Aye, fight and you may have a job with T&C Run and you’ll live — at least a while. And, dying in your beds many years from now, you will look back and Wish you voted YES would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our Employer that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our T&C or our hard earned Pension OR....our freedom!?! Alba gu bra!” *

[pinstripe]

same story from the Daily Heil.

Royal Mail privatisation plans face disruption as Salmond demands float is halted so Scots can have their say

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/news/a ... z2fAMaWsrc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Godric]

same story from the Daily Heil.

Royal Mail privatisation plans face disruption as Salmond demands float is halted so Scots can have their say

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/news/a ... z2fAMaWsrc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have said it several times on here since Privatisation was mooted since the referendum was called .... that they cannot sell what is not theirs until after the referendum is settled as 8.4% of Royal mail is Scottish and a independent Scotland will want to keep the mail service in public control .... what is sad is in England the only choice people have is the Tories, Labour, UKIP, and the lib dems and none of them represent the working man and policy wise you couldn't split them with a fag (cigarette) paper.... social justice in the rest of the UK has become a dirty word .... but not in Scotland

[DavidUK]

If Salmond was so concerned about this issue he should have called the referendum as soon as the SNP was elected to the Scottish Parliament rather than waiting as long as he possibly could in the vain hope of attracting more 'yes' votes.

[Shambles]

Well said Godric

[Godric]

If Salmond was so concerned about this issue he should have called the referendum as soon as the SNP was elected to the Scottish Parliament rather than waiting as long as he possibly could in the vain hope of attracting more 'yes' votes.

you haven't a clue .... during the election campaign he said the referendum would be held in the 2nd half of his term .... it was always going to be 2014 ... a date very significant for Scots

[DavidUK]

If Salmond was so concerned about this issue he should have called the referendum as soon as the SNP was elected to the Scottish Parliament rather than waiting as long as he possibly could in the vain hope of attracting more 'yes' votes.

you haven't a clue .... during the election campaign he said the referendum would be held in the 2nd half of his term .... it was always going to be 2014 ... a date very significant for Scots

That's as maybe, but he could have still called the referendum any time after winning the election. The SNP can't expect the British Government to put on hold all legislation for 2-3 years in the remote chance the Scots vote yes.

[Godric]

If Salmond was so concerned about this issue he should have called the referendum as soon as the SNP was elected to the Scottish Parliament rather than waiting as long as he possibly could in the vain hope of attracting more 'yes' votes.

you haven't a clue .... during the election campaign he said the referendum would be held in the 2nd half of his term .... it was always going to be 2014 ... a date very significant for Scots

That's as maybe, but he could have still called the referendum any time after winning the election. The SNP can't expect the British Government to put on hold all legislation for 2-3 years in the remote chance the Scots vote yes.

the UK government knew Snp's policy and they announced privatisation long after Alex Salmond announced the date for a referendum .... what you must understand it is our choice

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If Salmond was so concerned about this issue he should have called the referendum as soon as the SNP was elected to the Scottish Parliament rather than waiting as long as he possibly could in the vain hope of attracting more 'yes' votes.

you haven't a clue .... during the election campaign he said the referendum would be held in the 2nd half of his term .... it was always going to be 2014 ... a date very significant for Scots

That's as maybe, but he could have still called the referendum any time after winning the election. The SNP can't expect the British Government to put on hold all legislation for 2-3 years in the remote chance the Scots vote yes.

Thats rewriting history I am afraid - Privatisation was legislated after the last election and it wasn't in the Conservative manifesto, the SNP referendum was part of their manifesto before the 2010 election. So rather than putting legislation on hold to let the referendum proceed, if could be said that the complete reverse is the case.

[Godric]

I would also like to point out this is not a Scotland V England slagging match ..... this is what one part of the current UK wants

[barbario]

If Salmond was so concerned about this issue he should have called the referendum as soon as the SNP was elected to the Scottish Parliament rather than waiting as long as he possibly could in the vain hope of attracting more 'yes' votes.

Well,he has hit the back of the net with this one as probably all of Scotland's posties will now vote for independence,i would.