Selling The Royal Mail

[poliphilo]

How did that come about? I don't remember any great howdy-doo about privatizing the Royal Mail. Was it even in the Manifesto? And now, here, suddenly- without serious debate that I'm aware of- they're issuing shares. I'm not happy about it. I don't think people in general are. But sod the populace, there's money to be made. Buy shares today, sell them tomorrow and you'll have quadrupled your stake. Yuk.

Up until recently- up until this lot got in- the Royal Mail had an aura of inviolability about it- every previous government left it alone. It was Royal for pity's sake, it was to do with stage-coaches and Empire and steam trains and the monarch's head on every stamp.  We trusted the Mail. It was a much loved British institution- something to be proud of.  Interfering with it in any way was a serious offence- not only mean and horrid but unpatriotic. Were there snow drifts? Rivers in flood? Packs of feral dogs? Never mind- our gallant posties would always get through.

Not any more. From now on the service is going to be run for the benefit of people who look and smell like Jeremy Hunt. Prices will rise, standards will slip, the bits that don't make a profit will be cut. They say they won't be but they will.

Have you noticed how many TV programmes these days have "Great British" in the title? Great British Bake Off, Great British Year, Great British Science. Nations that are truly great don't need to be banging on about it all the time; they don't need those continual, self-administered pats on the back.  That plethora of "greats" is a sign of how we're slipping. And here's another. The Royal Mail has been taken away from us- the people- and given to the greedy weasels. Sic transit and all that.

Comments

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Here in the United States, our Postal Service is self-funded, doesn't take any tax money, but is a government service and is required to serve all Americans.

And it just about breaks even, while offering good jobs with good pensions.

Because of this, Republicans have been trying to destroy it for years. First, they want to see all this business go to private, for-profit companies, second, and even more important, having a healthy organization with a strong union AND good benefits goes against their principles.

So they've been putting all sorts of conditions on it -- like the Post Office has to pre-fund all its pensions, which is a weird thing that is hideously expensive, does no good, and nobody else has to.

But they're still, basically, holding on.

Judging from our experience, I'd suggest that the reason for privatizing the Royal Mail is because a NON-privatized package and mail delivery system which competes with privatized ones is just offensive to corporatist sensibilities.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. This is being done for ideological reasons and because the people the government works for will be able to make money out of it.