Royal Mail plan 'will go ahead'

[Big Daz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8042538.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail plan 'will go ahead'

Lord Mandelson said the Royal Mail reforms were vital.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has said the UK Government will go ahead with controversial plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail.
And he attacked union officials, saying they were scaring off potential bidders, in a BBC Scotland interview.
The Royal Mail's huge pension deficit and the rise of e-mail mean the service will never be profitable in its current form, ministers have argued.
But there is expected to be Labour backbench rebellion over the reforms.
A bill being voted on in the Commons would bring in a range of reforms, such as an invitation to private firms to form partnerships with Royal Mail - including taking up to a 30% stake in its parcels and letters business.


The UK Government said the legislation would keep a commitment to public ownership - but more that 130 Labour MPs are expected to vote against the plans, after joining with unions to say the move would undermine the universal delivery service and threaten thousands of jobs.
But Lord Mandelson told BBC Scotland's Politics Show: "I am definitely not for turning on the legislation.
"We need the legislation to go through, not least because, unless we are successful in transforming the business, we won't be able to deliver salvation to the pension fund, which has a huge and growing deficit.
"If people think we can just change the regulatory framework for the Royal Mail, bail out the pension fund to the tune of billions (of pounds of) taxpayers money and then sit back and not see through the transformation of the businesses, then they have another thought coming."
Lord Mandelson said the financial crisis was putting off potential bidders for the Royal Mail - but he also lay blame at the door of the Communication Workers Union, (CWU), which has said the modernisation plans would cost 40,000 jobs.
He said the union had a "fixation of no change, no modernisation, everything private is bad, everything public is good and never the two should be mixed".
"We reject that sort of dogma - but it is creating political uncertainty that is putting off would-be bidders," said the business secretary.
Lord Mandelson went on to back the prime minister, telling BBC Scotland: "Politicians can either have, or ideally both, a bit of razzmatazz and serious substance and content - I think Gordon Brown emphasises, and has a great deal of, the substance and content."
He added: "We'll leave the razzmatazz to David Cameron, because that's all he has to offer."

[BELIAL]

If that poisonous forked tongue dodgy loan specialist told me the sun would come up as normal tomorrow ,think i'd start to panic

[randompostman]

This thing has been well over cooked why dont the government admit they will give there rich friends in the banking and ammunition (death) companies hundreds of billions if not thousands of billions, but need to steal money of our services, pensions, workers and pensioners to give to them and at least we would know who and what we vote for instead of the lies we get fed every 4 or 5 years by nearly all of them.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Never mind Mad Maggie we now have Mad Mandy

[norbert]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8042538.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Of course it's all the Union's fault - Why the hell do the CWU pay money to this p*** poor version of the Tory Party ? :mfo - explains all the propaganda that we've had recently

the rest of us get grey hairs through worry , looking at this 55 year old ; the last time I saw hair that colour it was on a Grand National Winner . There is that sinister " We know where you live " thing with him , that's his Young Communists of Great Britain background , this Europhile's politics have shifted drastically to the right but the mindset stays the same .

The Bankers have f**k*d up but we'll make the great unwashed pay for it and look after the big corporation cartels and fat cats .

[johnsouthwales]

bollix.. labour can fill in the pension gap now anyway. why is he STILL using the pensions as bait? descpicable oik lol

[DGP1]

The only reason they want the sale to go ahead is to get their hands on the £26billion in OUR pension scheme, if any other company tried to do that they'd be rightly done for theft.

[norbert]

Cameron is threatening to defeat Mandy's RM privatization bill if it is watered down with concessions to appease New Labour Back Benchers
http://www.snp.org/node/15273" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Showing their true colours now ? after all this pretending to be Liberal . Even bigger shower of c**ts than McRuin's cabinet , just out to shaft people and look after their rich mates .

The next step would be Cameron making Gormless Gordon face a vote of confidence . The Tories did that in opposition with Sunny Jim Callaghan ? to force a general election if I remember rightly from a digital telly documentary

[stokes11eg]

The only reason they want the sale to go ahead is to get their hands on the £26billion in OUR pension scheme, if any other company tried to do that they'd be rightly done for theft.

Yes, you'r right D.G. it is just a way of making a fast buck--probably to secure their own pensions and pay for all their
'legitimate'expense, including babies nappies, and carrier bags.It is theft.

[fmrPOSTIE]

Cameron was always looking to pull the rug from under Brown. This Labour govt really are in the sh*t now, a senior member of the House of Lords called for Parliament to be dissolved over the weekend...

Best idea i've heard.

[borders]

agree, i am sat here listening to the discussions regarding the MPS house of commons expensives and it is really unbelievable. a system set up so they could fiddle the taxpayer. you really have to question their motives and morals ?

[krussel]

No surprises really just a feeling of let down from a supposed Labour goverment.

I really thought when Blair got in we would be safe until there was a change of goverment