SCOTTISH TUC president Fiona Farmer set the tone for this year’s congress with a stinging attack on Monday on the financial elite who have caused the global economic crisis: here.
IN A positive change of tone, [Scottish TUC] conference heard from Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health Nicola Sturgeon who explained the radical differences in approaches to the NHS between the Labour government in Westminster and the SNP administration in Edinburgh: here.
“NOT even the far-right of the [United States] Republican Party is pushing for the privatisation of the post office in the US,” Communication Workers Union general secretary Billy Hayes told an STUC fringe meeting on Monday: here.
THE government will lose hundreds of millions of pounds on its plan to part-privatise the Royal Mail because of the timing of its controversial proposals, a report warned on Monday: here.
Over a thousand NHS workers at the UNISON national health-care conference pledged on Monday to resist the government’s “increasing privatisation” of the health service: here.
MP blasts own party over mail
Published Date:
21 April 2009
By Chris Visser
A Lancashire MP battling to save the Royal Mail has blasted her own party after Labour chose a cheaper rival for a mass rallying call.
Labour has used Dutch firm TNT to post pro-Labour material to 800,000 homes.
But Morecambe and Lunesdale MP Geraldine Smith who spearheaded a House of Commons revolt against the part-privatisation of the Royal Mail said: “I do think it sends out all the wrong signals and do think it is disgraceful that they are not using Royal Mail.
“I don’t think it will do much to convince postal workers to vote Labour they will be angry.”
Her motion, put forward in January, has been supported by fellow Lancashire Labour MPs Mark Hendrick, David Borrow and Lindsay Hoyle.
Coun Geoff Driver, the Conservative group leader at County Hall, said: “The Conservatives support Royal Mail and it’s typical Labour say one thing and do another.”
Coun Tony Martin revealed the Labour party headquarters in London was behind the move.
Coun Martin said: “It was cheaper than Royal Mail.”
Preston’s Labour MP Mark Hendrick said: “I think they should be using Royal Mail I would be interested to know why they have gone to TNT and what the differences in the price of the services were. The Royal Mail is supportive of Labour. I can’t understand how we have got into that position.”
Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle added: “It is unpalatable. I’m a firm believer in Royal Mail and we should be using it. I have complained about Chorley Council delivering its bills using TNT and I think it’s equally wrong for TNT to be used by us. We should be setting the example by using Royal Mail.
“The worst thing is postmen have to deliver this on TNT’s behalf.”
Earlier this month it was reported that TNT was still interested in buying a stake in Royal Mail.
The confirmation followed the disclosure that Peter Mandelson held meetings with the Dutch firm in December in January.
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/MP-blasts-own-party-over.5190864.jp
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