Pressure on the government to reverse controversial plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail is likely to increase with the release today of a new opinion poll which shows huge public opposition to the idea.
Pressure on the government to reverse controversial plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail is likely to increase with the release today of a new opinion poll which shows huge public opposition to the idea.
A survey of 1000 adults for the Communication Workers Union revealed that three out of four disagreed with privatisation, rising to nine out of 10 if foreign ownership was involved. The union urged the government to scrap its "disastrous" plan but ministers continued to insist the move would maintain a publicly owned Royal Mail.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is pressing ahead with a partial sale of the business, with Dutch-owned TNT already expressing an interest in buying a stake.
Gordon Brown is facing his biggest rebellion by Labour MPs since becoming Prime Minister, and the union has issued a warning that the row is straining its relations with Labour, which it funds to the tune of £1m a year.
Only 6% of those surveyed for the CWU were in favour of privatisation and this halved to 3% when a foreign company was mentioned.
Deputy general-secretary Dave Ward said: "It's time MPs listened to their constituents and scrapped this disastrous plan."
Minister for Postal Affairs Pat McFadden said: "Privatisation is not the government's policy. We are proposing a joint venture with a postal operator that has a proven track record in transforming a postal business."
