Yesterday the government confirmed its plans to sell of Royal Mail within the next few weeks. I’ve drafted the following emergency motion to this weekend’s Autumn Green Party Conference in Brighton condemning the sell-off – please write in the comments box, tweet me (@josiahmortimer), or message me on Facebook with your name and local party if you support it!
Stop the Privatisation of Royal Mail
In light of the government’s announcement on the 12th September that it intends to privatise the Royal Mail ‘in the coming weeks’, Conference notes that:
1. The Royal Mail is a 497-year old institution which serves the public, not the interests of shareholders, and should be protected
2. 70% of the public oppose its privatisation
3. Privatisation of other sectors such as rail, energy, telecoms and water has been an untold disaster, leading to higher prices, greater inequality and worse services. The Royal Mail is likely to be no different
4. In order to sell off the Royal Mail, the government has had to nationalise its debts to ‘sweeten up’ the sale for private-sector profiteers – a classic case of ‘socialism for the rich’
5. If the sell-off goes ahead, rural areas are likely to be cut off, workers’ conditions will be undermined, and the universal service obligation of six-day deliveries is likely to be threatened
Conference instructs the Green Party Executive, and the Green Party’s elected representatives to:
1. Throw the party’s full weight behind the ‘Save Our Royal Mail’ campaign[1]
2. Support the Communication Workers’ Union’s industrial and political fight against the sell-off by all means possible, including backing strike action
3. Write letters to the press and to Vince Cable calling for the government to abandon the privatisation plans
4. Sign the Change.org petition demanding Vince Cable ‘Save our Royal Mail’[2]
5. Send a message of solidarity to the CWU and the Save Our Royal Mail campaign
6. Attend and support any protests which take place against the privatisation, and to help organise urgent demonstrations where possible
Conference also urges all Green Party members to likewise take the aforementioned actions.
If this motion is passed, conference instructs the Press Office to issue a press release about Conference’s decision and the party’s wholehearted opposition to the privatisation of the Royal Mail.
Proposed by Josiah Mortimer, University of York Green Party
March the Fury 
Fully support the motion. Cornwall Anti Cuts Alliance is handing over 200 anti-selloff postcards to local CWU posties tomorrow and has a CWU speaker at the next public meeting on 27th September.
It’s wonderful that you are fighting this; there’s a deafening silence from all other areas of opposition and the Royal Mail is destined to go the same way as the utilities, railways etc . despite public hostility to it. No one is kicking up a fuss. Are we all convinced that it’s already too late? Where is the nationwide poster campaign, demonstrations, publicity events?
More power to your elbow, Green Party.You’re the only ones doing anything. Well done!
Reblogged this on Citizens, not serfs and commented:
Why the Royal Mail shouldn’t have been privatised. EU policy – privatise everything.
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