Royal Mail Privatisation Planned

The coalition UK government have announced today that the Royal Mail is to be privatised.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11258649

Probably not a good thing despite the Royal Mail's financial woes. Queen Elizabeth II could get replaced with Burger King. The horror.

If you licked the gum would it taste of burgers? Mmmmmmm
Might not be that bad....

*sigh* The end of an institution in the UK. I suspect it may presage the end of the USPS.

Very interesting, Stampgal, thanks for posting. I see something similar happening in Canada in the not-to-distant future.

Yep. "privatization" seems to be the holy grail of many people. I think the USPS should be returned as part of the government and stop this desire for it to make a profit. A functioning postal system would seem to be a desirable entity, in and of itself, and considered a legitimate cost of government. My 2 cents worth.

look its dear BC :)

I'm with you Humpy. We don't expect the Army to turn a profit. It's seems to me that a postal service, even a small one, is requisite for a government.

KirkS

I'm not for privatization myself as I also think it should be a function of government for the common good. I've read that Germany went the private route some years ago. Anyone here from Germany can verify that? Is the German postal system any better or worse than before?

Deutsche Post has been private since 1995, and gradually bought itself into DHL as well. I don't live in Germany so I can't tell if things have gotten better or worse.

In the Netherlands, the post office has been private since 1989. From people I know in the Netherlands, things have been going downhill since, especially in the last few years with TNT. Philately is not what it used to be also.

Here in Portugal, they're discussing the possibility of privatization. I fear it will have negative impact.

I sure hope Canada Post doesn't go that way.

For sure postal administrations have a profit view of things but that view doesn't entirely blind the criteria of philatelic management. However, when you're purely private and depend on shareholders and their money, sometimes you start thinking a stamp with burgers sells more than a stamp with a historical moment of your country.
When that starts happening, that's when stamps lose my interest. I can stand a Homer here, homer there, but definitely not Homer everywhere. If I wanted that I'd collect Panini sticker albums like I did as a child!

well I have gone to germany many times never had a visit to the post office that I liked