LTB:Another stitch up!

[POSTMAN]

20 January 2011
LTB 066/11 Keep the Post Public Update



No. 066/11


Ref GS 11.0


Date: 20TH January 2011

To All Branches

Dear Colleague

KEEP THE POST PUBLIC : UPDATE



Further to LTB 047/11, Branches would wish to know that the First Reading of the Postal Services Bill in the House of Lords took place on Thursday January 13th. This was contrary to the advice the Union had been given. We were also originally advised that the Second Reading of the Bill was due to take place on Tuesday January 25th. As of today, we have been advised that this will not now be the case. We have yet to be advised when the Second Reading will now take place.



Branches will know that the First Reading in the House of Lords is similar to the procedure for the House of Commons, in that it is merely the placing of the Bill before the Chamber. The House of Lords is slightly different in that the Committee Stage takes place involving all members of the House of Lords. As previously advised there are five separate stages for the Bill due to be debated in the House of Lords.



It will also be recalled that in 1994, the withdrawal of the Michael Heseltine Bill on Privatisation took place when the Bill had cleared the House of Commons and House of Lords and was due to be placed back in front of the House of Commons.

It should also be noted that difficulties are currently being experienced by the Coalition Government in the House of Lords in respect of the introduction of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill. The House of Lords process could yet lead to the Bill being radically amended because of the tactics of those opposed to the Bill.



The Union is consulting with its advisors and is preparing a raft of amendments. A discussion is currently taking place in respect of our strategy for the House of Lords.



The Union is meeting Ed Davey, Minister form Employment Relations, today - Thursday January 20th 2011.



Branches are reminded of the various events taking place and the need to maximise our attendance at the Keep The Post Public Rally and March on Saturday 22nd January - assembling at Fairfield Recreation Ground in Kingston upon Thames - at 12 noon

[POSTMAN]

Branches would wish to know that the First Reading of the Postal Services Bill in the House of Lords took place on Thursday January 13th. This was contrary to the advice the Union had been given. We were also originally advised that the Second Reading of the Bill was due to take place on Tuesday January 25th.

If you remember they done this as well the last time around,reading it early!

[postghost]

I stopped after:

This was contrary to the advice the Union had been given

How many times??? They still don't get it do they??

[fishtank]

Further to LTB 047/11, Branches would wish to know that the First Reading of the Postal Services Bill in the House of Lords took place on Thursday January 13th. This was contrary to the advice the Union had been given.

Who the feck is advising them...Mr Magoo.
All he had to do was read hansard....it was online in rough draft the night of the 13th and in full on the 14th..

13 Jan 2011 : Column 1537
Postal Services Bill

First Reading
11.41 am

The Bill was brought from the Commons, read a first time and ordered to be printed.

Piss up and brewery.

[hairyjack]

"Who the feck is advising them...Mr Magoo"

[Wessex]

"Who the feck is advising them...Mr Magoo"

[Wessex]

Where's me coat

[subbie]

Does anyone know if the Salisbury Convention will apply in the House of Lords as the Postal Bill goes through the Lords?

For those who do not know, the Salisbury Convention means that the Lords will not vote down a Bill that appeared in the lower house ruling party manifesto as an election pledge.

The Tories had Royal Mail privatisation in their manifesto, not sure that the Lib Dems did, and who is the ruling party in the commons?

If the convention applies to this Bill then its passage is just a formality!!! Its as good as Law.

Subbie

[POSTMAN]

Subbie,it wasn't used when Liebour welched on their manifesto.

[smokerjim]

Does anyone know if the Salisbury Convention will apply in the House of Lords as the Postal Bill goes through the Lords?

For those who do not know, the Salisbury Convention means that the Lords will not vote down a Bill that appeared in the lower house ruling party manifesto as an election pledge.

The Tories had Royal Mail privatisation in their manifesto, not sure that the Lib Dems did, and who is the ruling party in the commons?

If the convention applies to this Bill then its passage is just a formality!!! Its as good as Law.

Subbie

Privatisation was in all three parties' manifestos....but what might cloud the water is the Tories promised full privatisation & Lib Dems promised partial, with the remainder ( about half ) going to workers in a "John Lewis" style trust, but as Clegg & Cam have both said about other manifesto promises, not enough voters gave them a single party mandate, so they had to mix & match in negotiations ( so Lib Dems might have got the AV referendum in exchange for selling more of RM to highest bidder - not saying they did, just an example of what might been ).

Tories are the ruling party in the Commons ( but Lib Dems have more power per MP & could dob tories into minority Govt by switching to opposition )

I am sure there is precedent for deciding who would gain by using Salisbury in this instance, but I can't think of it ( but as Tories have most seats I'd say they have the nod, but then the RM sell off as it is, is different from their manifesto, and I don't know if that changes things )

[fishtank]

The Liberal Democrats have already gone on record to say that they do not feel bound by the Salisbury Convention .
Labour peers have already hinted that they will ignore it due to the fact that the manifesto it is based on is an amalgamation of two which has little public mandate
Labour have 211 peers.The Conservatives 188 peers,Lib Dem 72 peers, and 182 crossbenchers (independents).
The Salisbury Convention is not like a law or standing order...it's just a bit of tradition...although an important bit.
The Government is trying it's best to undermine the Labour majority in the House of Lords.
From the Coalition agreement....

“In the interim, Lords appointments will be made with the objective of creating a second chamber reflective of the share of the vote secured by the political parties in the last general election.”

I would imagine all kinds of threats of Lord's reform are being thrown about behind closed doors at the moment.
A lot will depend on how the so-called independent crossbenchers vote...they would be my target if i was the CWU.
I would be surprised not to see at least one wrecking amendment introduced.