What really 'beggars belief'
The man who's resigned his government post this morning has declared that it "beggars belief" that Dutch company TNT could be brought in to advise Royal Mail on its operations.
What really does beggar belief is the idea that Jim McGovern could sit in the department for business as bag carrier for the minister responsible for the Royal Mail, Pat McFadden, and not have known for many weeks that this was precisely what was being planned.
Could his resignation have more to do with the fact that the SNP are targeting his Dundee West constituency? The nationalists already control the council, both Holyrood seats and the neighbouring Westminster seat?
PS. Some readers have pointed out that although the SNP have the most councillors in Dundee, they do not in fact control it.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~53~RS~)
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'What really does beggar belief is the idea that Jim McGovern could sit in the department for business as bag carrier for the minister responsible for the Royal Mail, Pat McFadden, and not have known for many weeks that this was precisely what was being planned.'
I don't think it 'beggars belief' that decisions, by this government, are made behind closed doors or even by unelected cliques.
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There has been a lot of readers comments in the local paper regarding Jim McGovern and the fact he works for the government but also campaigned to keep the local Post Offices open. Also, the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat co-alition actually controls DCC doesn't it?
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What beggars belief is that this blog is supposed to be non-partisan.
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Jim McGovern is right to make this decision.
When the government is trying to convince the public that it's doing all it can do to help safe peoples jobs.
They come out with this piece of legislation that would have a serious effect on employment within the royal mail?
It really does contradict the stimulus plan?
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I wish our local Labour MP would do the same.... he was there in our local papers campaigning against the closure of a local Post office and yet voted with the Government on closure - this guy is what I call a turncoat and not fit to be trusted.
This is privatization by the back door which will grow like a cancer AND WE TRUST these ministers to run the country how patriotic are they?
I don't trust this shower one inch and that includes a bent penny.
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Jim McGovern has behaved in a manner befitting his Governmental position. While stuff was behind closed doors - even though he obviously disagreed with it - he kept his trap shut.
Now it's in the public domain he can follow his conscience and act with honour.
Incidentally, this isn't a pro-Labour post - I can't stand them.
But you have to admire what is obviously one of the few MPs in that Westminster den of thieves that has any moral backbone.
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Not altogether clear what point you are trying to make here. Either, as has been alluded to above, you are attempting to deflect any potential damage this resignation does to the Government/Mandelson by suggesting the guy has ulterior motives unconnected with the Royal Mail, or you are suggesting that the guy can't hold down a ministerial job while at the same time fighting off the SNP in his constituency.
If the former, you are clearly spinning for the government and that leaves you open to severe criticism (albeit, such criticism is hardly unusual and you do leave yourself open to it with alarming regularity), and the reader can discount the story in its entirety. If the latter, this can only be an issue if we are indeed heading for an early election, otherwise, frankly, who cares?
Now as an SNP supporter, I will be delighted to see Jim McGovern lose his seat at the next GE, but surely, given your post of yesterday, if this is the correct interpretation, you should be making a great deal more of this angle than you are.
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#9
"But you have to admire what is obviously one of the few MPs in that Westminster den of thieves that has any moral backbone."
You would think so, wouldn't you?
But instead Nick rushes back from his meeting with Mandy to rubbish the guy...
Most distasteful, cynical and partisan - just like Mandy himself.
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Its a shame his conscience didn't stretch as far as doing a Davis and resigning his seat and forcing a by-election.
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I agree with post 9.
By resigning before it was announced Mr McGovern would have caused more trouble for his party and more than likely the reason for his resignation would have been lost in the fallout. Furthermore, until it was announced there was always the chance, however unlikely, that the Government could have changed it's stance.
Resigning in this manner allows Mr McGovern to state clearly his reasoning - right or wrong. I very much doubt whether the Royal Mail decision will count for very much when his constituants vote in a General Election.
Nick, will you be using this rather flawed argument whenever anyone else resigns in the future?
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'What really does beggar belief is the idea that Jim McGovern could sit in the department for business as bag carrier for the minister responsible for the Royal Mail, Pat McFadden, and not have known for many weeks that this was precisely what was being planned.'
I don't see why Nick - members of the Government often only resign on principle once a policy has gone public. I guess he knew what was being planned, but timed his resignation for maximum impact.
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Give the man some credit ! Perhaps he recognises what a Royal Mess this whole situation is.
Don't forget also that the Labour Party is still a long way from 'learning to love Peter Mandelson', in Blair's implausible words.
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12#
Come on be fair. Its not a case of how wonderful things are or are not in Toryland.
If you take a straw poll of the majority of the ahem, ...."non-secular" posters on this blog, you'd realise that they are equally disparaging of both the main parties and have pretty much exhausted their patience with both of them.
What yet again, leaves a slightly sour taste in this blog is the "what really beggars belief" paragraph. It's unneccessary. Reminds me of a line from Julius Caesar:
"Et Tu, Brute?"
What we appear to have is a resignation on a point of principle. As another poster has said, if he really believed it, he would have done a Davis and resigned his seat as well. But, he wont do that as he's obviously nowhere near as confident as Davis that he would get it back! Thats realpolitik I guess, which makes the whole thing a slightly hollow gesture.
But then again, we're used to gesture politics now arent we? Those who have messed up and are supposed to be accountable no longer resign on a point of honour do they? They have to be carried out feet first.
Last resignation I remember like this was the late Robin Cook when the penny finally dropped that his ethical foreign policy and Tony Blairs premiership were destined to be mutually exclusive... How long ago that seems.
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I suspect that #1 (poprishchin) isn't far off the mark.
Having had some experience in the past of briefing minsters etc etc, it wouldn't entirely surprise me if McFadden & Mandy merely assured McGovern that part-privatisation was only an option being looked at and it wasn't necessarily going to become the policy. When the subsequent policy is then announced, McGovern walks.
There is another issue that minsiters are generally briefed by terribly bright oxbridge educated types with double-barrelled names. Sadly, a significant proportion of these have no experience of real life and never seem to keep a specialist portfolio for long enough to get to know anything useful about it - they are career civil servants, after all. I suspect that they really have no idea how the post office works. Net result - poorly thought out policy which will prob fail when implemented. You can apply this to nearly all govt departments and is prob one of the reasons why the public get frustrated with govt.
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Could somebody work out a way to run an efficient publicly owned universal mail service?
how do they do it in the US? even they have a state run postal system, has it been killed by the advent of email and competition
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Pat Mcfadden probably knew nothing about it either, as Peter Mandelson probably didn't tell him about it.
More centralised clique sofa politics decision making by the look of it.
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What really "beggars belief" is that it really matters whether the Royal Mail is, 1) privatised or not or, 2) is owned by a Dutch German, or American parcels carrier - as long as they continue to provide the service, which the former does in The Netherlands, and the latter in Germany it doesn't matter - at least not to anyone else other than the members of the Communication Workers Union who might just have stop striking at a moments notice, happy in the knowledge that, unlike most of us in the private sector, the chances of them losing their jobs in this recession are negligable.
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It appears to me that this all smacks of a done deal. The author of the report, Richard Hooper seems to be hellbent on destroying Royal Mail and advising carving up the business, to sell the nice bits to private industry and the unprofitable bits stay government owned. Isn't it coincidental that TNT, before the report was written, looked at the Royal Mail businesses and are now, coincidentally, interested in taking a stake. So was the report really a freebie report on behalf of TNT, to see if the profitable parts of Royal Mail are worth buying. Its all a bit too cosy and wrapped with ribbons for my liking. Plus, why sell off the profitable areas? By definition, they make money! Postcomm and the Government are absolutely trying to destroy one of this countrys largest employers, so private industry can line their pockets and give generously to the party in power. Scandalous.
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#4
Hear hear
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Well as a political non-aligned I can't say I see that much I would call seriously biased in this blog but anyone is entitled to their own perspective - including Nick. It is after all a blog and there is usually enough info around on here for people to make up their own minds about the issue. Unless, I suppose, if for you Nick is the issue and you can't be bothered to add constructively to perspectives about the actual issue being discussed. In which case I for one am not interested in your contribution.
On the subject of the issue I wonder why neither management nor unions in Royal Mail have been able to come up with a constructive and sustainable alternative since a similar proposal was put forward about six years ago?
Could it be that there are so many vested interests that radical reform in the best interests of the customers and the economy at large are secondary? I have lost count of the number of my business's parcels lost or damaged by Royal Mail/Parcelfarce in the meantime and the time and cost involved in claiming compensation land, placating my customers etc. So much so that I send everything possible by couriers. Usually anything over 1Kg its directly cheaper, more reliable even without adding in the hassle factor cost of Royal Mail.
Something in Royal Mail needs dramatic change, so how about some constructive proposals rather than wasting time shooting the messenger if you don't like the message?
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I am just not clear whether it is better to sell our assets piece by piece to the foreigners or all in one go. After selling our gold, gas, electricity, nuclear plants, water boards and now the Post Office would it not make sense to put a FOR SALE sign in Dover and sell the Country to the best offer?
If we change ownership we would also save the billions wasted on ID cards as presumably we would no longer be British.
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Labour nearly always do back-of-the-fag-packet policy making.
They routinely come out with last minute 'headline catching' announcements which haven't been properly thought through.
What was the last one?
That was one of Mandelson's as well wasn't it..... something to do with people being able to defer interest payments on mortgage repayments and non of the banks knowing anything about it?
It caught the headlines, sounded great, the BBC and press splashed on it. Then after a minor rumpus from the banks we hear no more and various media organisations have been conned into giving the government a good news story.
Labour = government by newspaper headline.
Labour are not a credible party of delivery or government. They should be removed. The people should march on London.
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Nick - were you in 'Toenails' mode when you wrote this sentence?
Could his resignation have more to do with the fact that the SNP are targeting his Dundee West constituency? The nationalists already control the council, both Holyrood seats and the neighbouring Westminster seat?
I'd put 50p that this is the line Mandelson will be spinning in order to damp down the impact of McGovern's resignation.
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Im afraid your way off base on this one. Knowing this constituency I can tell you Jim McGovern will have resigned on principle not for other reasons. He has campaigned for local Post Offices to stay open and has been consistently unhappy with the Government in many ways not just this particular issue. You must get up to Scotland sometime so you can comment on it.
It is no surprise to anyone that Mandelson would play his cards close to his chest and not inform anyone as to what hes up to. I think this is your worst blog to date and considering there is some important issues out there very trival.
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I am no fan of labour but why the attempt to disparage the man- is it too much to believe that a labour minister could resign purely on principal?
Nick- why are you so overtly pro labour now?What does Mandy have on you??
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And what pray tell is Alan "I wuz a postman wen i left skhool wiv no examinins" Johnston's opinion of this, coz is ex mates int' uniun will be reet miffed.
Now wouldn't it be nice if he stood on his principles and backed his ex commrades and demanded no PRIVATISATION OF THE POST out brothers out. But unfortunatly Iv now got reet impoten job an ave to stay on and be part of the real do nowt party.
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At last, a member of this Labour government displays a little bit of integrity by resigning. What a great pity his example will not be followed by the rest of this awful regime. PMQs this morning featuring Harman in place of superman, displayed the full soundbite mentallity of the government; not a single meaningful answer to a question, merely a dreary repeat of the rehearsed stock statements made by her master. Nothing he has said or she repeated gives any semblence of an answer to the questions asked and makes the whole concept of PMQs a waste of time.
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Perhaps, you cynical pea brain, the reason he waited was so as not to embarrass his superiors until the official announcement had been made.
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What it shows is that many, if not most, Labour MPs are closet Bolsheviks, just itching to get back to nationalisation, commanding heights, beer-n-sandwiches, etc.
Anyone want to buy a beige-coloured Austin Maxi ? No, thought not .
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Call me stupid but I can't see any bias in Nick's reporting. Why do so many here appear to shoot the messenger?
Ye Gods! Think yourselves lucky you have this facility to sound off. Could be cathartic experience for you!
Post Office? My guess is that it differs in different parts of the country. Here in North West London we have seen the service change from two deliveries a day to one arriving about 3 to 4 o'clock and slung in the porch - despite the fact that we have two letter boxes. We constantly get other people's post including their salaries details and pension details (a couple had been opened in error) which is unforgiveable.
Now, nobody's perfect and I put some of our problems down to the fact, yes, sorry again I have to say it, that some of the postpersons are foreign and their command of English is poor. However, they should be able to read a number and a road name shouldn't they so perhaps that is unfair of me.
Most of my parcels come via Home Delivery couriers and they are excellent.
However, I think the Post Office is just one huge organisation with problems of lack of systems, poor management, apathetic staff who don't actually care much just so long as they get their money and can have their holidays in Tenerife or Dubai. You can see this low esteem in our large organisations all over the place, NHS, public transport, local councils etc etc.
The whole country has floundered under Labour and I think it's time for a change for the better.
Signed.... Postman Pat.
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Good on this bloke for resigning and standing up for his principles. At least he's got some. However, I'm surprised that whilst in normal times a Govt monster resigning would be newsworthy, there's a lot more stuff going on of interest to Joe Public....like interest, for example. Will the BoE follow the Fed down to 1% or lower? Will we have a country left by the time we get chance to vote? etc, etc.
Is it just me, or does Lord Mandelson look like the 'Child-Catcher' from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in civvies?
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The Italian Post Office has been completely turned around by its management in the past few years and indeed, is opening new Post Offices.
Crozier and Leighton wanted to turn the Post Office business model into a kind of workers co-operative, along the lines of the 'John Lewis' model.
Couple the ideas from the Italians with the Lewis partnership model and we would probably end up with a highly successsful business.
Unfortunately, this is the land-of-nod and instead the PO will probably wither away.
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This seems to have come completely out of the blue.
It is beginning to look like a panic measure to privatise Royal Mail.
Is it because of another huge hole in the pension funds?
If so they will have to end up privatising the whole of the public sector.
So far we have not seen the real figures for the black holes in these pension schemes but overall they must be absolutely staggering.
Another fine mess they have got us into.
More money to print I guess.
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Nick
What is the purpose of this blog entry?
To accuse one man of having ulterior motives in resigning a from a minor government post?
Is that headline news??
What about mandlsons motives for keeping his meetings with businessmen secret?
Come on Nick!
Is this what you went to journo school for?
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I still can't understand what good is going to result for the Royal Mail from selling a minority share to a foreign business. It does not deal with the pensions problem. It does not deal with the fact that the Royal Mail has an undertaking to regularly collect mail from a widespread network of locations and to deliver to all UK addresses irrespective of cost. Those issues are social cost not commercial. If Mandelson could come forward with a reasoned argument about those points then fair enough. I can see the day coming when we have to drive to a location to collect our mail and post it. The problem is you cannot privatise everything. Some functions and services are not commercial.
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"The nationalists already control the council, both Holyrood seats and the neighbouring Westminster seat?"
I know! I was shocked to hear it too!
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Non partisan? Have an opinion on nothing? Get away. We get this suggested accusation of bias on other BBC blogs.
I disagree with Nicholas sometimes but I want his take on things. He like the late Bernard Bresslaw - "Only asked!"
To suggest any MoP has no priinciples? Is that graceless? I am hanged if it is.
What a liberty! What liberty - I think I meant. lol
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I dont get what you are alluding too Nick.
If he had resigned before the official announcement, he could have been made to look a fool.He obviously doesnt believe a word Mandelson says until it is in the public domain....this is a very wise thing to do .
Lesser people than him have fallen foul of believing Lord Peter.
Perhaps he does know that there is going to be a snap election ???? otherwise this will be forgotten about by the time there is....
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This government needs as much money as it can lay its hands on at the moment and just about all we have left to sell is Royal Mail.
What really beggars belief is that we are still waiting for an explanation from Lord Mandleson as to exactly what he was doing on Deripaska's yacht!
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Nick, I'm sorry, but you are just getting silly now. This is a non-story and as commentators have pointed out it is perfectly normal to wait for the public announcement before resigning.
Either it is a very slow news day and you are trying to make it look as if you are working (we all do it from time to time) or you are genuinely looking to muck-rake. Your readers will no doubt make up their mind as will your employers.
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I think it makes political sense for this fellow McGovern to do this.
English people do not seem to be able to grasp that Scotland is a completely different country, from a political perspective.
That is, Scotland is a much more 'socialist' country than England, so the mooted part-privatisation of the PO is gong to go down very badly indeed in Scotland.
Couple that sentiment with the overall resurgence of the SNP in Scotland and you should be able to see that it makes perfect political sense for McGovern to prepare for the worst.
English people would be well advised to WAKE UP to the realities of the political differences between England, Scotalnd and Wales.
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ewww, looks like a different mod's crew in tonight!!
Plenty posts being removed for breaking "the house rules...." number 1 of which appears to be:
1) Thou shalt not question the indipendance of the political editor!
I'd better barricade the doors against the Met's finest as I'm sure they'll be around soon!
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Good grief, what is going on here?
Has Harriet declared Martial Law on returning from Basra?? Civil Contingencies Act invoked? Freedom of Speech being suddenly curtailed?
Or is Nick in the Mods chair and he's not best pleased??? :-)
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What beggars belief is the number of comments awaiting moderation or been rmoved
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Jim is obviously not in Mandy's inner circle.
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As this thread vaguely relates to Mr Mandelson, Business Secretary, it may be worth pointing out to him that Tata, who have been lobbying for government funds to bail out Jaguar Land Rover, and Corus Steel, are not so strapped for cash that they cannot afford to sponsor the Scuderia Ferrari F1 motor racing team.
Mr Mandelson may wish to reconsider the wisdom of giving our money to Tata if they can afford this.
http://f1.uk.reuters.com/f1/news/India-370782-1.php?refresh=true
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58#
Fair nuff, SP, but if you want his take on political matters, it would probably be more expedient to ask the Labour Party instead.
I'd prefer it just plain, unvarnished, unspun. Soon as you put a slant on it, you're open to manipulation.
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Yes Nick - what does Mandy have on you? It will come out in the end.
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@55 glanafon
"Some functions and services are not commercial."
You can say that again. Like education, health, water, power, transport, pensions, defence etc; the government's only function is to provide an infrastructure so that we can get on with our lives.
This government is busily demolishing all our institutions and traditions in the name of rampant capitalism; and the opposition is no better.
Where did our country go?
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Nick
Like many others, I am not at all surprised that a junior minister waited until his boss announced a policy change with which he fundamentally disagreed (and which was not included in the Queen's Speech only a week ago and has not been reported to Parliament) before resigning.
I know enough about how Government and Parliament work to see that he might feel this was the only honourable course.
I also think it more than possible that he had been kept out of the loop or indeed misled by colleagues.
This is not a hot party-political matter as the Tories and Lib Dems seem both to agree with the Government's general thinking on this issue, although many of their constituents, especially rural ones, have the gravest of misgivings of where this will end up.
But that a I think you can see from the general character of the posts to this and recent blogs that many of us are worried about your interpretation of this resignation, as a further example of recent political reporting on the BBC generally and yours in particular.
ps
21 posts removed so far, including one of mine, presumably all for being "off-topic" by expressing concern about balance in recent blogs.
It's your blog, of course, and you and your moderators can remove whatever you like, but I thought frank debate was supposed to be good for the political process?
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Just a word of warning. If Mandy is involved with the Post Office then he really will "know where you live".
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I give you credit for consistency,Mr Robinson. You go for anybody, in your Blogs, who casts aspertions on your Masters, the current Government. Are you a political plant? I really wonder if you are truly employed by the BBC; but then I suppose it is one and the same thing, or do I totally miss the point?
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62:
JC with the greatest of respect, touche.
From the 8 years I spent in Scotland during the 80's & 90's the only difference was there were no Tories in it.
Not a Big surprise, I'm afraid. Given that most of England, with the exception of the post-industrial wastelands of the midlands and the north are, on the whole conservative (with an exceptionally small c, granted), I wonder how we got a Labour government with a significant amount of Scots in it?
The person who needs the wake up call IMVHO is Mr Salmond. Independance will never realistically happen and will be financially ruinous for the Scots.
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Nick should check his facts before making his comments as the SNP do not control the council.
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What really beggars belief is the Home Secretary's reluctance to remove some of the bungling idiots at the Met. Police who oversaw the shooting of an innocent man ( Charles de Menezes) and the Keystone Kops arrest of Damien Green. Cressida and co. do not even have the moral fortitude to resign as they are so in love with themselves. Truly lions led by donkeys.
P.S. If you are not resident in the Met. area you cannot be sure you will not be affected as they are exporting these dunces around the country. Be afraid be very afraid!
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"What really does beggar belief is the idea that Jim McGovern could sit in the department for business as bag carrier for the minister responsible for the Royal Mail, Pat McFadden, and not have known for many weeks that this was precisely what was being planned."
So what are you saying - that he should have either resigned weeks ago, without saying why he was resigning; or that he should have resigned and said why, and in doing so leak the information before the Government announcement?
Neither of these seem as reasonable as waiting until the decision is made and announced by the Government, and then resigning.
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Moderators
Please let Nick know that #76 is right and his blog is wrong - suggests he updates.
Just checked the Dundee Council website and while the SNP have the largest number of seats they neither have a majority or control.
It says:
"Political Makeup
Political Party Number of Councillors
Scottish National Party (SNP) 13
Scottish Labour Party 10
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party 3
Scottish Liberal Democrats 2
Independent 1
Political Control
Labour / Liberal Democrat Coalition
Leader of the Administration - Councillor Kevin Keenan (Lab)"
Just shows that the bloggers do contribute to the political discourse and to providing accurate information!
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I'm not really interested in getting involved in some privatisation versus nationalisation battle, nor whether the Mandelson plan is a spontaneous decision or the result of meticulous planning. What really matters in my mind is that the insane battle between management and workers, and left and right in Britain is ditched for a better focus and balance. Better quality and a fair deal is where the action should be at instead of the asset stripping and infighting of previous generations.
Britain suffered a road crash from previous Labour and Tory governments. The left clung to their ideological purity and bled investment capital to prop up failing industries. Later, the Tory government asset stripped and gave the capital away as a bribe to spend on consumption. Both of those extremes led to the arrogant and consumerist bubble that exploded in out face. This is why, I argue, Britain has its wires crossed and needs to swim in another direction.
My kneejerk view is that Jim McGovern is collateral damage. He doesn't seem to have the sort of business vision I'm looking for and is running like a chicken back to his constituency. This is understandable but why didn't he stick around to develop that understanding instead of fleeing in a blind panic to save his own skin? His decision looks less like sound management than the tail wagging the dog. The government doesn't need such low calibre people so he's done them a favour, and if the SNP take his hide he only has himself to blame.
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Might I hazard the thought that McGovern has smelt the coffee and decided that it is more important to get re-elected next time round than be in the government.
I fail to see why a man should be abused for seeking his supper. Politics is all about vulnerabilites and this government is no friend of anyone let alone its supporters.
I don't think the nationalists have an argument any more and this might be just the opportunity a shrewd man might take to be returned next time on an improved majority. He might even be optimistically hoping for a return of the Labour Party at some time in the distant future once the cowboys have ridden off into the sunset.
Alternatively one could quote a sentence which includes rodents and sinking ships.
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#80 CEH
Charles - it's all very well and good saying that Britain has its wires crossed and needs to swim in another direction, but there is a slight problem.
We can't afford to swim at all.
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the job of royal mail is to collect letters and packets from their point of origin and deliver them to their destination. No more, no less.
ever since the "commercial freedom" initiative of the late 1990's when the then management practically destroyed the company through such brilliant aquisitions as a german parcel company which was bought for several millions then sold back for a pound, changing the name to consignia and other inspired business decisions i for one have had no confidence in senior managers. there was a brief glimmer that things might change with Leighton's early rhetoric about "core mission" i.e. para 1(above). Rapidly extinguished by the barely disguised rush towards attempted private ownership by those at the top.
Talk to any proper postman and they will tell you what the job is. Unfortunately proper postmen are a dying breed, being rapidly replaced by poorly trained, poorly motivated people who do not understand the public service ethos.
If you want the USO then several steps need to be taken
1. restore pride in the service for it's workers and give them proper training
2. revert to the old, simpler, pricing system
3.move deliveries back to breakfast time
4.ignore profit and loss (at least for a time)
5.by all means bring in automated sequencing machines but don't believe they will be the panacea to all ills. they won't sort flats or packets and probably not awkward shaped letters. which means that a lot of delivery prep will remain manual.
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According to ITN, that august, independent news broadcaster, Mr Mandelson attended a meeting of Labour backbenchers yesterday evening and was so condescending to them that McGovern wrote out his resignation speech there and then and slammed it down on Mandelson's desk as he left. If true, good for him.
Nick, why didn't you get this scoop?
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Of course, Mandy knows all about the Royal Mail having been posted abroad himself.
It's just a pity he's been returned to sender.
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For those who blame the Dutch company TNT for the loss of important discs it was actually the responsibility of one or a couple of individuals who may well now have been shown the door. They may not even have been Dutch.
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Filling the mind with clutter and worry just deflects the swing of the blade. Getting hung up on power, status, and wealth is no different. Best just forget about it and do what needs to be done. The more you try the more you fail, hence the phrase: "It's not not what you do". Success follows naturally, in its own time, and in its own way.
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I agree totally with Post 37. As an ex "postperson" of 21yrs service with Royal Mail, incidentally, at the time Mr Johnstone was our union boss.
I feel that he should indeed stand up and remeber his collegues and the commitment that his/our union had through difficult times to bring about change and ward of privitisation through the 1980s and 1990s.
TNT was then muted a possible buyer and of course now, with so much under investment over the years with an eye to selling of the business, Alan Jonstone will only be to well aware of the past history. So, come on Alan Jonstone, find your voice.
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Could it be that anything Mandelson is involved in is never as clear as you think it might be. Amazing that you are so blind. See what is in front of you, Mandelson has always left a cloud whereever he goes. That is his gift and that is why Gordon has brought fim back. Others will be smeared in an attempt to put us all off the scent, what ever the situation. Keep your eye on the ball, this government are bankrupt in every way, that is why they have brought back The Prince of Darkness, beware, you are being taken in.
Did you not think for one moment the situation might be as Jim McGovern says it is: that he did not know.
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What really does beggar belief is the idea that Jim McGovern could sit in the department for business as bag carrier for the minister responsible for the Royal Mail, Pat McFadden, and not have known for many weeks that this was precisely what was being planned.
Really, Nick ?
This is the lot whose Chancellor wouldn't tell the Prime Minister what was in the budget !!
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mr. McGovern says he is resigning because "keeping the Post Office" was in the Labour Party Manifesto....
An EU referendum was also promised in the same Labour Party Manifesto...so why didn't he resign when that was denied to us?
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The Government has been using private post services to collect and sort mailfor ages... (remember those lost Child Benefit data discs)
Just look at the logo on most government envelopes....."UK Mail" usually....so collected and sorted by a Private company...and just the last doorstep delivery by the Post Office.
The government have been trying to set up the Post Office for privatisation for years!
Why else did they stop people buying their TV Licences there, and it was only very recently that they caved in to pressure to keep the Post Office cash card service
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60. shellingout
This government needs as much money as it can lay its hands on at the moment and just about all we have left to sell is Royal Mail.
What really beggars belief is that we are still waiting for an explanation from Lord Mandleson as to exactly what he was doing on Deripaska's yacht!
Hah! You might be on to something there1
Does Mr. D have any shares in DHL or TNT ?
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In my view a not for profit company might be the best option similar to Network Rails model.
Nationalised industries don't work very well, but essential public services like this cannot be privatised, although some have and we are suffering the results. A company with no shareholders where profits go back into the business and the employees given incentives to get involved with their future. Instead of the Them and Us attitude of 1970s trade unionism and Thatcherism of the 1980s. Two failed Ideas.
Not sure how this TNT plan is supposed to help. TNT will only take the profitable bits and leave the rest with the government.
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Interesting that bloggers should talk about 'doing a Davis' I remember that hacks (and I can't remember if that included you) were generally dismissive of David Davis' resignation as a nine day's wonder. It wasn't, was it? It raised his profilemarvellusly, thoughI don't think that's why he did it. In other words, Davis was right on all counts and most of you were wrong. Oh, and 0f course a Labourite won't do a Davis. They are the retas who NEVER leave the sinking ship.
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The shareholders of Post Office Ltd should focus on getting the pension fund sorted.
The State owns the shares. The Government exercises effective (although ineffectual) control on "our" behalf.
If they'd had any sense, they'd have shoved a couple of billion into the fund years ago. That would have allowed the PO to use a few hundred MILLION as investment in equipment upgrades.
When the only shareholder makes life difficult for a company (withdrawing money making options and services), it's a bit difficult to see how it can ever get itself sorted out...
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#98 balhamu
I'm still trying to work out why on earth OFSTED was given the task of inspecting social services.
There's an obvious overlap between education and social environment. But I'd have thought OFSTED had enough on it's plate trying to get education properly managed...
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What a distasteful Blog post. Who, exactly, Nick, do you work for? The BBC or the government? Hard to tell sometimes (even more so now that the BBC is so clearly the propaganda arm of New Labour
(which is why we no longer pay our license fee. Join the TV license fee revolt, and make the BBC accountable again)
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#27 is spot on! It's not for nothing that "going postal" originated in the US. When all the profitable parts of Royal Mail are owned by their private former competitors, they can drive the prices up. Would you pay courier prices for standard mail? The unprofitable (eg. deliveries of post to remote areas) will remain with the now underfunded postal service which now has no chance of turning a profit due to the popularity of charging £1 for a first class stamp.
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What did Mandy tell you Nick? That he would make access to Labour politicians difficult for you in the future if you did not push this spin for him?
You should have told him to stick his interview where the sun does not shine and praised McGovern for standing by his principles.
How can anyone take you as a serious political journalist when you are so obviously partisan?
Roll on 2010, when we can clear out this Labour rubbish and also their sycophants in the public-owned media.
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I commend you Sir. You are unfortunately in a very small minority of people in public positions with the courage of your own convictions. The fact that HM post is just another loss machine is not unexpected. The fact that the railways were privatised should also tell you that so will HM Post. What beggars belief is the timing and the choice. Deutcha Post has just pulled out as partner with DHL, does that ring any alarm bells? Something along the lines of what the German finance ministry has been calling Brown and co? The bigger blow for the people is the choice of TNT, who I can personally (and back up with evidence) had constant run-ins with due to their appauling service and customer care. Good luck England!!
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#102 balhamu
I'm not at all suggesting that problems like Baby P - or any others - orginate from the regulator.
Simply saying that a regulator for educational issues is already hard pressed to address that area.
Obviously "education" comes in many forms: formal and informal teaching and social / societal learning.
I don't think we have the "formal" education right. (If up to 20 percent of children are functionally illiterate and innumerate, I'd have thought OFSTED had its hands full in that area alone.)
I'd prefer a specialist organisation to oversee "social issues" from birth.
Otherwise, the logical extension would be for OFSTED to oversee paediatricians and school busses, pram and baby-buggy manufacturing, production and retailing of childrens clothes, toys, electronic gadgets, etc. etc.
OFSTED had a clear objective. Obviously all organisations should be aware of and have outreach to others. As soon you stretch a structure too far, you impact on the effectiveness of personnel.
(By the way, I do believe that the FSA was guilty of not attempting to understand what was going on in the real world of finance. And I believe they and the BoE should have made it clear that wild lending was a rediculous action. The banks created the problem. The regulators were supposed to understand what was going on...)
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In this climate of Credit Crunch, where is TNT getting its funds from in order to buy a stake in the Post Office? Surely, they are suffering as much as other companies and need to hold on to what cash they have, assuming they have some! I can't see the banks being interested. Are we worrying unduly, as I suspect that this aspect may turn out to be yet another TNT wish rather than reality.
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# 97:
I wonder who is referring? I merely pointed out that the Baby P case is not a focus for party political tit for tat nor is the fact that 8 councils were pulled up for lax provisions. It goes across party lines.
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#109 sicilian
Difficult to know (note all mine have gone too).
Was off-topic though (to be honest most stuff posted here is though), so I guess its fair enough.
fairlyopenmind's comments on the subject have stayed :)
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The mind boggles
Why do you act so surprised about a politician playing politics for his own survival rather than acting in the interests of those he purports to support?
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A pathetic posting. As has been pointed out time and again, there is nothing suspicious about a minister waiting for the policy to be announced before resigning.
Prehapes Nick you should read Brian Taylor's blog for an example of a journalist who actually posts on the issues rather than empty spin and gossip.
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The Royal Mail and the Post Office should be treated by any government in the same way as the NHS, the Navy or the police force.... absolutely essential to British society and non-negotiable. ... sadly we have a band of jokers in charge who can give £37 billion of our money to incompetent, selfish bankers but who are quite happy to see our postal service placed in foreign hands and reduced to a mere rump ... utterly shamefull ... such a pity that I'm now too old to emigrate.
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For 23 years up to the year 2000, the Post Office organisation (Royal Mail) had successfully made substantial profits. In that year, Chancellor Brown deliberately took all the profits from Royal Mail and left them severely financially disadvantaged. He also held secret talks with a Dutch rival, TPG, with a view to selling Royal Mail, then known as Consignia.
However, watchdog Postcomm, which had been set up by an Act of Parliament, had no intention of presiding over a postal service that was to be ‘flogged off’ to the Netherlands. This conflict with Brown, has come back to haunt his Government. Mr McGovern MP Dundee East, resigned as PPC to Postal Minister McFadden (17/12/08) because condescending Mandleson is still pushing ahead to sell to another Dutch rival TNT, breaking yet again another Labour Party Manifesto promise.
We now have a dysfunctional Government determined to sell off a vital industry and many thousands will lose their jobs? The base line is Royal Mail is finished under this Government. History shows Labour voted for the Post Offices Services Bill (which led to the closing of thousands of local post offices) and also agreed secretly to support EU Directives 97/67/EU and 2002/39/EC. This effectively put Royal Mail under unfair competition from German controlled DHL and other Dutch firms and has steadily eroded the profitable parts of the business ever since.
Lets face facts; it is this Government that has turned the Royal Mail, since 2000, into a financial basket case, unable to operate an efficient business plan and with a mounting pension fund deficit of £7 billion plus. They now desperately seek to hide Brown’s years of interference behind a sell off. Hopefully the long-suffering postal workers and public will realise this ‘fire sale’ is a continuation of Labour’s vandalising policies towards the postal service in this country. They have again broken a Manifesto commitment to preserve Royal Mail and tens of thousands of postal service workers’ jobs are now at stake. This is another example of this Government’s gross incompetence.
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113
pat the cat
Just to pile it on pat, those who haven't made on to the property ladder are finding NO favours with their rents and many in many council are being evicted.
The middle class bail out?
Come on the Hobbits!
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113, Pat you can emigrate to South Africa, only stipulation is that your MONTHLY income is nearly £2000 STERLING - no lump sums - just the monthly income.
Well well such a shame our stupid government doesn't put restrictions on the waifs and strays who cross ten different countries to get in here, end up costing us millions, use our facilities, water, sewers, roads, hospitals, schools and, if we're lucky become traffic wardens or postpersons - on unlucky depending on your viewpoint.
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#114 BGarvie
Nick - Why on earth don't you look into this? If it's true, Gordon will have a hell of a lot of explaining to do!
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#116flamepatricia
I agree with you entirely.
Problem is, that all those waifs and strays who cross ten different countries to get in here, will be given money, a house, a car, and anything else they need before being given citizenship. The only thing they will have to do in return is vote Labour.
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#110, balhamu wrote:
#109 sicilian
"Difficult to know (note all mine have gone too).
Was off-topic though (to be honest most stuff posted here is though), so I guess its fair enough.
fairlyopenmind's comments on the subject have stayed :)"
Balhamu & sicilian..
Just to say I hope you don't imagine I may have referred comments. Haven't ever done so till now and can't see any reason why I would do so in future.
I enjoy reading stuff I disagree with as much as stuff that "chimes". I even learn and have been known to change my mind!
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At £2000 per month, it looks like even South Africa is out for me !
At least I've done a little bit to help my fellow man ( and woman) this morning - posted off all my Christmas cards - so the Royal Mail will have a small amount of income to pay hard-worked posties .... think I'll hibernate till Spring.... Merry Christmas to all
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pat the cat
Try Europe. It is cheaper, although not by much at the moment.
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In many respects Royal Mail has been superceded by The Internet in the form of e-mails. The only time I ever use it are at Christmas time and for birthday cards. It is also very useful for occasionally returning goods which have been purchased over The Internet from online shopping sites and of course for receiving these same goods.
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While the letters business is obviously falling due to e-mails and the like, advertising material and billing are rising. As are packets, in a big way, due to Internet Shopping.
You have to decide whether you want the Royal Mail to operate as a business, or as a public service.
Luckily - as it's currently a strange amalgamation of business/service the unprofitable parts are subsidised by the profitable ones.
Splitting Royal Mail piecemeal will never work. There was already a plan for more automation, but that is as far as I know on hold because of financing issues.
Royal Mail is actually a highly efficient country-wide organisation that can deliver a letter or package to any address successfully. It's just the issue of current cost-cutting - for investment - that forced it to reduce to one single delivery, one collection, per day. Cost-cutting is usually brought in as a solution by an unimaginative management. Raise prices, or cut costs, what could be simpler?
Throw in the highly unfair competition, where competitors simply hand the bulk of the work to Royal Mail for delivery, and you'll see why the business is in dire straits.
The solution?
Give it capital investment. Return it to it's "Public Service" goal, and set achievable targets.
Unfortunately, that is against current EU legislation. That's where the ultimate stumbling block lies.
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By contrast, the Belgian Post Office has just announced its plan to privatise, under control and on time. It's the difference between management who take these things seriously and one which bumbles along hoping things will turn up miraculously.
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