Its only a "lost cause" as such as that is what the government has manouvered upon it. It desperately wants to sell off Royal mail but knew the public would not have it, so run it into the ground, and then eventually people will be glad when its sold off, they have actually done a good job towarsd what they want without most people even realising it.
You do realise that the government could not sell a post office that was run into the ground (whether or not the public would care).
Also the changes that have been made over the last few years have actually improved the profitability of the Post Office (though competition is strong) contrary to what you are saying (and I so don't like saying nice things about the Blair government but you have made me).
Current closures (whether or not you believe in them) will improve the profitability and efficiency of the business.
I understand the possibly dire implications of this action not being taken but it is scandalous if you look at the big picture. These banks make billions in profit year on year and hand it out in huge bonuses to trading floor staff and other fat cats at the top of their trees. So while the tax payer is having to now bail them out there are an elite who are sat on their fat @rses in their big houses, puffing a tenner's worth of cigar smoke every minute. I think this catastrophe has hi-lighted that the government needs to take a little of these huge profits every year in some form of 'tax' and put it away for rainy days just like this.
You may think its scandalous but think about it a little bit further than the front page of the socialist worker.
The banks do make billions in profit on which they pay billions in taxes. Yes a few traders do make huge amounts of money which is a fraction of the huge amount of money they make for the economy which is subject to a huge amount of tax. Now I can be a jealous as the next guy but at some time you have to let the old brain point out that this is what makes the economy tick.
Well its not so much the tax payer bailing them out at all as they make a huge share of the contributions anyway. As as its bonds that are being given rather then money its not even as if money is being diverted away from other stuff but the government is taking a relatively small amount of risk when compared to the financial market collapsing.
As far as I know the banks pay the same corporation tax as any other business if they haven't put any away for a rainy day (which I don't think they have) its not (for this at least) the banks fault.
The money for the banks is a loan with interest. The money for the post office is for a lost cause.
The money for banks is needed to keep the economy shored up which if crashed would have a dramatically bad effect on all our lives.. The money for the post office is to keep a handful of rarely used shops open.
that pretty much sums it up.
whilst it's obviously not ideal about the post offices, if many are rarely used, then there's not much point in keeping them going - especially if the services are made available nearby.
although there was one unfortunate case where a PO on Loch Ness was closing, and the nearest alternative was quoted as being less than a mile away. unfortunately that was as the crow flies, and involved swimming across Loch Ness. which was less popular with some of the older residents.
Apparently a rarely used public service needs to be shut down forthwith.
Interesting concept of public service.
Of course, this only ever applies to the public service used by the "lower classes". If it was applied universally there would be riots in the streets around Waitrose.
Talk about double standards! I feel like the UK today is reliving the period before WW1 all over again.
The NHS will be next I suppose, GPs surgeries are in the firing line.
(This is what comes of having three conservative parties as the only mainstream choice)
I think the PO needs to be brought back fully into state ownership once more.
Bring back the Postmaster General!
I fully agree, I agree with most of Thatcher's privatisations, but the two biggest failures have been the railways and PO, the former being done by Major and the latter by Blair.
Comments
You do realise that the government could not sell a post office that was run into the ground (whether or not the public would care).
Also the changes that have been made over the last few years have actually improved the profitability of the Post Office (though competition is strong) contrary to what you are saying (and I so don't like saying nice things about the Blair government but you have made me).
Current closures (whether or not you believe in them) will improve the profitability and efficiency of the business.
Well as they are only giving the bonds to "well run organisations" then hopefully most/all of it. They are not swapping bonds for sub-prime mortgages.
Bring back the Postmaster General!
You may think its scandalous but think about it a little bit further than the front page of the socialist worker.
The banks do make billions in profit on which they pay billions in taxes. Yes a few traders do make huge amounts of money which is a fraction of the huge amount of money they make for the economy which is subject to a huge amount of tax. Now I can be a jealous as the next guy but at some time you have to let the old brain point out that this is what makes the economy tick.
Well its not so much the tax payer bailing them out at all as they make a huge share of the contributions anyway. As as its bonds that are being given rather then money its not even as if money is being diverted away from other stuff but the government is taking a relatively small amount of risk when compared to the financial market collapsing.
As far as I know the banks pay the same corporation tax as any other business if they haven't put any away for a rainy day (which I don't think they have) its not (for this at least) the banks fault.
Yes... you get my support... I am also sick of having the Post Office actually making a profit...
that pretty much sums it up.
whilst it's obviously not ideal about the post offices, if many are rarely used, then there's not much point in keeping them going - especially if the services are made available nearby.
although there was one unfortunate case where a PO on Loch Ness was closing, and the nearest alternative was quoted as being less than a mile away. unfortunately that was as the crow flies, and involved swimming across Loch Ness. which was less popular with some of the older residents.
Iain
Interesting concept of public service.
Of course, this only ever applies to the public service used by the "lower classes". If it was applied universally there would be riots in the streets around Waitrose.
Talk about double standards! I feel like the UK today is reliving the period before WW1 all over again.
The NHS will be next I suppose, GPs surgeries are in the firing line.
(This is what comes of having three conservative parties as the only mainstream choice)
I fully agree, I agree with most of Thatcher's privatisations, but the two biggest failures have been the railways and PO, the former being done by Major and the latter by Blair.