Should the Royal Mail be part-privatised?

31 May 2009

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Poll started 01 June 2009: Should the Royal Mail be part-privatised? The government remains resolute in plans to sell off up to 49% of the Royal Mail to private bidders. While part-privatisation will raise money for the public purse, there's many arguments for and against... FOR: Personal post now accounts for just 14% of snail-mail anyway (thanks to the web). The pension fund deficit's weighing RM down. It could help maintain daily deliveries. AGAINST: It could mean thousands of redundancies and higher prices. Standards may fall and (less profitable) personal mail may be deprioritised. The RM dates back to 1516, so it's part of our heritage. Should part-privatisation go ahead? Which of the following is nearest your answer?

Poll started 01 June 2009:

Should the Royal Mail be part-privatised?

The government remains resolute in plans to sell off up to 49% of the Royal Mail to private bidders. While part-privatisation will raise money for the public purse, there's many arguments for and against...

FOR: Personal post now accounts for just 14% of snail-mail anyway (thanks to the web). The pension fund deficit's weighing RM down. It could help maintain daily deliveries.

AGAINST: It could mean thousands of redundancies and higher prices. Standards may fall and (less profitable) personal mail may be deprioritised. The RM dates back to 1516, so it's part of our heritage.

Should part-privatisation go ahead? Which of the following is nearest your answer?

Results

A. No. The Royal Mail should always be a public service.		4,003 votes (61 %)
B. No. Privatisation will mean a more expensive/less efficient service.		704 votes (11 %)
C. No. Privatisation will mean job losses and more Post Office closures.		660 votes (10 %)
D. Yes. I don’t care whether the Royal Mail remains a public service.		139 votes (2 %)
E. Yes. Market conditions mean the Royal Mail can’t survive while nationalised.		249 votes (4 %)
F. Yes. Privatisation will lead to better service/more competition.		557 votes (9 %)
G. Don’t know/Not bothered either way.		208 votes (3 %)

                   6,520 votes received.

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