Rousing lobby of parliament

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2nd July 2013

MPs and postal workers flocked to committee room 14 in the House of Commons this afternoon (Tuesday) to take part in a lobby which felt more like a mass rally. The room was packed with people standing in any floor space available while others spilled out into the corridor. Dozens of Labour MPs - including shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna - as well as MPs from the SNP, Plaid Cymru, Green Party, SDLP and DUP were queuing up to speak out against privatising Royal Mail and met a welcome audience of postal workers from around the country. CWU was pleased to have Unite the Union on the platform also. Over 60 MPs attended in total.


CWU general secretary Billy Hayes explained the curious nature of Michael Fallon's interest in how pay talks were progressing - showing more interest than any previous minister - before making a quip about him being busy with "fracking the country" in reference to his role as Energy Minister. Billy went on: "MPs need to listen. If you look after the people who deliver your mail they will deliver for you."

Labour front bench

Labour front bench spokesperson on postal affairs, Ian Murray MP, set out the Labour Party's position on the issue. He had responded for Labour only last week on a Westminster Hall debate on Royal Mail privatisation. "The case for keeping Royal Mail in the public sector is as compelling as it has ever been" he said. "The government has no answer on the universal service. Cherry-picking means it will become more expensive and the regulator has no answers on that."

Chuka Umunna, shadow Business Secretary, opened his remarks strongly with the message: "Let me be absolutely clear, from Ed Miliband down in the Labour Party - WE ARE OPPOSED TO PRIVATISATION. It makes no sense to me at all to privatise the profit and nationalise the debt of Royal Mail." Chuka went on to expose the government's obsession with privatisation: "The government says this is not a fire sale, that legislation went through two years ago. But they're ignoring all the change since then - the pensions solution, better industrial relations and the company back in profit. The government chooses to ignore these facts. The sale is about getting George Osborne out of a hole. It's nothing to do with the national interest and everything to do with politics."

Wake up Westminster!

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward's message was "Wake up Westminster!" He quoted the recent ballot result, saying: "Our members voted in an independent ballot by 96% against privatisation. The biggest threat we face is that politicians can't think of any new ideas. Why throw away 300 years of heritage when this company can survive in the public sector? There is an alternative."


Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, made reference to the government debacle over selling off the nation's forests as proof that "this government isn't afraid of u-turns so we can make a difference." She went on to express her dislike of the economic ideology driving privatisation of Royal Mail, explaining: "The Tory-led coalition is in thrall to the private sector and they've outdone themselves on Royal Mail privatisation. I don't like banks and private companies making money out of our heritage. I do believe we can win."

Brian Scott from Unite, which represents Royal Mail managers, explained what his union is doing to support the campaign and declared: "There is no need to privatise Royal Mail. People admire Royal mail, the way workers understand people's needs. That ethos would be lost under privatisation and prices would go up. We should be talking about alternatives."

CWU president Jane Loftus used a Bill Shankly quote to express the feeling of many, saying: "It's not over until the final whistle, and we're not there yet."

National parties

Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd felt that privatisation was not a done deal, saying "ideology is fine, but practicality is something else altogether." He praised the Royal Mail calling the service "excellent" and asking "Royal Mail isn't broken so why fix it?" He gave Plaid's full backing to the campaign opposing privatisation, saying: "We need to drive momentum of this campaign forward. If the public know the truth they will undoubtedly support you."


The Scottish Nationalist Party MP Mike Weir, who has a lot of constituents in rural areas, warned: "If Royal Mail falls into private hands the service will go. Privatisation will destroy to USO." He pledged full support, saying: "We remain absolutely opposed to privatisation and will join you in the fight against privatisation."

Margaret Ritchie from the SDLP gave her party's ringing endorsement for the campaign, saying: "We're opposed to privatising Royal Mail. We want the service and your jobs to be protected."

Labour MPs

Dozens of Labour MPs were on-hand to give vocal support to the CWU's campaign against Royal Mail privatisation, as well as meet their constituent postal workers.

Katy Clark, who called a Westminster Hall debate on the issue of Royal Mail privatisation last week, said: "It's good to see so many MPs of Labour and other parties here - including the Labour chief whip which tells me this is the room to be in! Privatisation would be a disaster."

"Retention of Royal Mail in public ownership for Labour should be a no brainer" said Michael Connarty MP, who also praised with envy the CWU's recent ballot result. "What MP wouldn't give their last dollar for the support postal workers gave in the ballot - 96% no to privatisation."

Nia Griffiths said: "Privatisation will lead to services and wages spiralling down and prices rising. We have a viable and worthwhile nationalised RM to protect."


Jim McGovern drew prolonged applause when he recounted his actions when faced with privatisation of Royal Mail under a Labour government: "I wrote my resignation note as PPS in the last government over the issue of part-privatisation of Royal Mail. I never regretted it. I fully support the CWU."

Veteran MP Dennis Skinner (who shouted out before Queen's Speech 'Royal Mail for sale, Queen's head privatised) made a passionate closing contribution, firstly thanking postal workers for coming to parliament and "saving me from having to mix with venture capitalists". He told the room: "This issue is about class. The privatisations of the 1980s lasted in UK for a matter of years and are now owned by foreign shareholders. That is what awaits you under privatisation. We're not going to fail. Already we can see the doubts."



Supportive comments were also received from Jack Dromey MP who Tweeted "Royal Mail is the property of the British people. Privatisation is wrong. Proud to support Britain's Posties lobbying Parliament." Ian Lavery MP also Tweeted, saying: "Excellent attendance @CWUnews lobby of parliament. The message is simple: STOP the PRIVATISATION of Royal Mail."

And Liverpool MP Luciana Berger, Tweeted a photo of herself meeting CWU reps from her area, saying: "Supporting CWU in keeping Royal Mail public and against the government's fire sale privatisation."

Find out more about the CWU's lobby of Parliament by reading the CWU briefing: The future of Royal Mail produced specially for the event.

Visit Save our Royal Mail for more information on the campaign and to see how you can get involved by writing to your MP and signing the online petition.

Among the MPs present were (all Labour unless stated otherwise):

Russell Brown (Dumfries & Galloway), Jim Dobbin (Heywood &Middleton), Frank Doran (Aberdeen North), Nia Griffith (Llanelli), Natasha Engel (Northeast Derbyshire), Rosie Winterton (Doncaster), Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley), Katie Clark (North Ayrshire & Arran), Barbara Keeley (Worsley & Eccles South), Kate Hoey (Vauxhall), Gareth Thomas (Harrow West), Alan Meale (Mansfield), Ian Lavery (Wansbeck), Ian Mearns (Gateshead), Tom Hain (Glasgow South), Jim McGovern (Dundee West), Mike Gapes (Ilford South), Ian Murray (Edinburgh South), Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston), Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire), Steve McCabe (Birmingham Selly Oak), Rob Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South), Jack Dromey (Birmingham Erdington), Dennis Skinner (Bolsover), Green Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion), SNP Mike Weir (Angus), Michael Connarty (Linlithgow & East Falkirk), Chuka Umunna (Streathem), DUP Nigel Dodds (North Belfast), SDLP Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast South), Plaid Cymru Elfyn Llwyd (Dwfor Meirionnydd), SDLP Margaret Ritchie (South Down), Brian Donohue (Central Ayrshire), Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North), Ian McKenzie (Inverclyde), Graeme Morrice (Livingston), Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North), John Cryer (Leyton & Wanstead), Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar & Limehouse), Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland), Steve Rotheram (Liverpool Walton), SDLP Mark Durkan (Foyle), Emma Reynolds (Wolverhampton North East), David Crausby (Bolton North East), Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West), Theresa Pearce (Erith & Thamesmead), John Denham (Southampton Itchen), Frank Roy (Motherwell & Wishaw), David Winnick (Walsall North), SNP Pete Wishart (Perth & North Perthshire), Derek Twigg (Halton), Joan Ruddock (Lewisham Deptford), Fiona McTaggart (Slough), Kate Green (Stretford & Urmston), Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham & Morden), Margaret Curran (Glasgow East), Dave Anderson (Blaydon), John Tricket (Hemsworth), Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South), Alison McGovern (Wirral South)

[mandelsons_toenail]

Great read that

See my mp isn't on the list.

Must write him an email asking for his support

[pants123]

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward's message was "Wake up Westminster!

well said........ the government are either a bunch of retards... or a greed love of money son of a bitches.... who f..king does not listen to the country...............

IN OTHER WORDS THE GOVERNMENT ARE A BUNCH OF CORRUPT HUMAN BEINGS WHO WILL DESTROY THIS COUNTRY...