Royal Mail privatisation

[Butts]

A small and decreasing amount of Amazon's parcels go through Royal Mail. If I buy online from somewhere other than ebay I expect to receive parcels through Hermes or Yodel these days.

All my recent orders from Amazon (books) have come from the Royal Mail via the Postie...most are to big to fit through the letterbox and have required a trip to the sorting office to collect :cry:

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In reply to the first day share percentage increase of the Royal Mail shares, a similar large first-day increase was also recorded in the shares of BT and British Airways.

Large institutional organisations who were shocked by the paucity of their share allocations would most certainly have brokers acting for them to buy a great percentage of shares already offered for sale.

 

[Butts]

In reply to the first day share percentage increase of the Royal Mail shares, a similar large first-day increase was also recorded in the shares of BT and British Airways.

Large institutional organisations who were shocked by the paucity of their share allocations would most certainly have brokers acting for them to buy a great percentage of shares already offered for sale.

This is why the Government is considering reducing it's share from 38% to 30% to allow more applicants to be successful.

Why have we heard so little about the stake the Government is retaining in Royal Mail which will be at least 30%

 

[richw]

When I asked the question about EC countries in my posting, I did not envisage an island off the west coast of Africa would be used an an example...

It was the only example I had I'm afraid where I could compare state mail vs private mail, although an EU country

 

[jon0844]

A small and decreasing amount of Amazon's parcels go through Royal Mail. If I buy online from somewhere other than ebay I expect to receive parcels through Hermes or Yodel these days.

I've been getting more stuff via Royal Mail than couriers lately, but I expect Amazon have a number of factors at play - such as when you order, what depot it comes from and the size of the packaging or weight etc.

More recently, Amazon will state it will place items that would have previously been signed for (being a Amazon Prime customer) through the letterbox, and then notifies me on my phone that it has done so. I don't know if that's a new policy or something they'll do for customers after a certain time where they build up a level of trust.

Of course, that also means having to trust the courier... and that might well be why they use Royal Mail more.

Yodel have often been a nightmare:

Twice they've claimed to have delivered but not, then the item turns up the next day. Once they showed as delivered and got a signature, but it turns out they'd delivered to the wrong person - about 30 miles away and at an address not remotely similar.

And the same driver clearly comes to us on his way home, which means it can be 7.30-8pm, even though the last delivery should be 7pm. As a result, the 'next day delivery' was only just able to be classed as next day.

By contrast, the post man usually delivers before midday every single time and is also really friendly to boot!

 

[WillPS]

Yes receiving by Royal Mail is a far more attractive prospect. HDNL (which was the initial brand for Yodel - lasted about 18 months and says a lot in and of itself) once delivered about £300 worth of stuff I'd ordered from Amazon in to an empty wheelie bin which wasn't mine, and then signed for it with the word 'SQUIRELS' (my surname is Squires).

The 'tracked' product is relatively new (last couple of years or so), exactly as you describe it features tracking like a signed for package but no requirement for a signature. In other words, enough of a deterrent to stop people claiming stuff hasn't arrived which actually has (which is, I'm sure, what makes up a good amount of 'lost mail' cases).

 

[Johnuk123]

Yes receiving by Royal Mail is a far more attractive prospect. HDNL (which was the initial brand for Yodel - lasted about 18 months and says a lot in and of itself) once delivered about £300 worth of stuff I'd ordered from Amazon in to an empty wheelie bin which wasn't mine, and then signed for it with the word 'SQUIRELS' (my surname is Squires).

Are you certain that a squirrel didn't actually sign for it ?

 

[Metrailway]

Surprise Surprise...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-mail/10373868/Hedge-fund-investing-in-Royal-Mail-employs-George-Osbornes-friend.html

Hedge fund investing in Royal Mail employs George Osborne's friend

A hedge fund that employs one of George Osborne's closest friends and best man is among the City institutions set to make millions from the privatisation of Royal Mail.

More than 40,000 people who tried to buy shares in the privatisation have received nothing at all. By contrast City institutions were able to buy two thirds of the newly privatised company.

Lansdowne Partners, one of the world's biggest hedge funds, has invested in Royal Mail and is said to have a £50million stake in the company. After a day of frantic trading the value of its shares has risen by £18million.

Peter Davies, Lansdowne's co-head of developed markets strategy and a member of the hedge fund's management committee, has been friends with the Chancellor since they met at Oxford University.

Mr Osborne chose Mr Davies to be his best man when he married Frances Howell in 1998 at St Margaret's Church, next to Westminster Abbey.

The Labour Party highlighted the connection between the two men as part of its criticism of the Royal Mail sell-off. (Read more)

 

[Eagle]

George Osborne has friends? hock:

 

[SS4]

Surprise Surprise...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-mail/10373868/Hedge-fund-investing-in-Royal-Mail-employs-George-Osbornes-friend.html

Can you give me a second? I need to pretend I'm shocked. Pretty damning considering it's come from the Torygraph too

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Surprise Surprise...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-mail/10373868/Hedge-fund-investing-in-Royal-Mail-employs-George-Osbornes-friend.html

I see that the "best man at the wedding" scenario was well over 10 years ago. How many forum members have seen relationships change over that period of time..

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder if the SNP will use the Royal Mail as another matter as part of their referendum publicity in the independence debate ?

 

[maniacmartin]

I wonder if the SNP will use the Royal Mail as another matter as part of their referendum publicity in the independence debate ?

A lot of Scotland is quite rural.If they go independant, does that mean we can remove the Universal Service Obligation in Scotland? It could make RM more profitable...

 

[St Rollox]

So farewell then Royal Mail. Same old tories same old shi*e

Wonder how long before a stamp is £2.
The Christmas card will be a thing of the past.
The BBC and health care must be next in their sights if David gets his way.

 

[SF-02]

I wonder if the SNP will use the Royal Mail as another matter as part of their referendum publicity in the independence debate ?

Yes they have said they will re nationalise if they win the referendum on independence. Privatisation will affect rural areas so Scotland will suffer. Wonder how long until price rises kick in and service cuts. The govt must be pressuring Royal Mail to hold off until after the vote. As the head of Royal Mail was awarded many shares and has made a mint already from privatisation I'm sure she will oblige.

If Salmond promises action on energy he will be in a stronger position come the vote.

 

[jon0844]

I think it's crazy, but not surprising, that we're seeing bribes to get a yes vote.

 

[St Rollox]

I think it's crazy, but not surprising, that we're seeing bribes to get a yes vote.

I'll listen to both sides and if i think i'd be better off voting YES then that's what exactly what i shall do.

 

[jon0844]

Indeed. You vote for whether you want independence or not. It's not an election, with the usual bribes and lies.

 

[Butts]

A lot of Scotland is quite rural.If they go independant, does that mean we can remove the Universal Service Obligation in Scotland? It could make RM more profitable...

A lot of England and Wales are also quite rural so I wouldn't bet on it
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Yes they have said they will re nationalise if they win the referendum on independence. Privatisation will affect rural areas so Scotland will suffer. Wonder how long until price rises kick in and service cuts. The govt must be pressuring Royal Mail to hold off until after the vote.

As the head of Royal Mail was awarded many shares and has made a mint already from privatisation I'm sure she will oblige.If Salmond promises action on energy he will be in a stronger position come the vote.

Yes indeed, for running an organisation with over 150,000 employees she gets paid (a lot) less than a middling Premiership Footballer
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Indeed. You vote for whether you want independence or not. It's not an election, with the usual bribes and lies.

I'm not sure about bribes, but it's certainly full of lies from both sides

 

[Metrailway]

Presumably an independent Scotand will get it's fair share of the 38% of Royal Mail currently owned by the UK Government but how can (an independent) Scotland re-nationalise Royal Mail without breaking the organisation up?

Surely re-nationalisation unilaterally (without participation of the rUK Govt) would break up Royal Mail into two organisations - nationalised Royal Mail (Scotland) and south of the border, the remaining part nationalised Royal Mail (rUK).

 

[Eagle]

Surely re-nationalisation unilaterally (without participation of the rUK Govt) would break up Royal Mail into two organisations - nationalised Royal Mail (Scotland) and south of the border, the remaining part nationalised Royal Mail (rUK).

What's the problem with that? Separate countries tend to have separate postal services.

 

[Butts]

Presumably an independent Scotand will get it's fair share of the 38% of Royal Mail currently owned by the UK Government but how can (an independent) Scotland re-nationalise Royal Mail without breaking the organisation up?

Surely re-nationalisation unilaterally (without participation of the rUK Govt) would break up Royal Mail into two organisations - nationalised Royal Mail (Scotland) and south of the border, the remaining part nationalised Royal Mail (rUK).

I'm glad someone else has picked up on the fact The Government is still the biggest shareholder in RM.....this "inconvenient" fact has disappeared in all the hype relating to the sale :roll:
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What's the problem with that? Separate countries tend to have separate postal services.

Would Alex Salmond's profile replace The Queens....hmmm....his heads to big

 

[SS4]

Perhaps it's to put money in the public purse so the Tories can say they've performed well on the economy in the same way selling the family silver improves your bank balance?

 

[Metrailway]

What's the problem with that? Separate countries tend to have separate postal services.

There is nothing wrong with it. Although, like in Ireland, a Scottish only mail provider would lose tons of money due to the large % of postal services in Scotland being rural. A united RM has a higher chance of profitability and thus, would be a net benefit to the Scottish Treasury even if it owns a minority stake.

Many people are against RM privatisation because they are attached to the institution. If Scotland nationalises it's postal service provider, you are in effect creating a new postal service provider, so you'll lose the institution of Royal Mail from Scotland, i.e the name, the trademarked Royal Mail red, the Queen's head on stamps, the history etc. What is the point of renationalisation if you lose the institution?

 

[SF-02]

A lot of England and Wales are also quite rural so I wouldn't bet on it
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Yes indeed, for running an organisation with over 150,000 employees she gets paid (a lot) less than a middling Premiership Footballer
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It's not about her salary, but the additional award of (undervalued) hundreds of thousands of shares that have risen 40% after listing.

 

[Butts]

It's not about her salary, but the additional award of (undervalued) hundreds of thousands of shares that have risen 40% after listing.

If they had fallen rather than risen would you still be moaning about it ?

 

[SF-02]

Perhaps it's to put money in the public purse so the Tories can say they've performed well on the economy in the same way selling the family silver improves your bank balance?

That's exactly it. The govt are way behind of deficit reduction targets. They were supposed to reduce the non-structural deficit by 2015 - now it's looking like 2019. The Uk deficit is still above France, Spain, Italy, Ireland at around 8% of GDP.

Before this privatisation went through the liabilities of Royal Mail (pensions) were transferred to the govt's books and marked as a gain against the deficit and a reduction of debt. Long term though it is a cost. They also allowed it to list under valued. The Royal Mail depot site in London alone could be worth £1 billion when it is sold this year. Even supporters of privatisation should take issue at the bad deal the taxpayer has got.
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If they had fallen rather than risen would you still be moaning about it ?

When undervalued by 40% they weren't going to fall were they? No one expected them to fall. The vast majority of analysts expected them to rise sharply, as they did so your question is irrelevant as it wouldn't, and didn't, happen.

 

[Butts]

That's exactly it. The govt are way behind of deficit reduction targets. They were supposed to reduce the non-structural deficit by 2015 - now it's looking like 2019. The Uk deficit is still above France, Spain, Italy, Ireland at around 8% of GDP.

Before this privatisation went through the liabilities of Royal Mail (pensions) were transferred to the govt's books and marked as a gain against the deficit and a reduction of debt. Long term though it is a cost. They also allowed it to list under valued. The Royal Mail depot site in London alone could be worth £1 billion when it is sold this year. Even supporters of privatisation should take issue at the bad deal the taxpayer has got.
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When undervalued by 40% they weren't going to fall were they? No one expected them to fall. The vast majority of analysts expected them to rise sharply, as they did so your question is irrelevant as it wouldn't, and didn't, happen.

So the biggest beneficiary of the sale has been The Government who's remaining stakes increase in value means they almost got the money for nothing

 

[St Rollox]

There is nothing wrong with it. Although, like in Ireland, a Scottish only mail provider would lose tons of money due to the large % of postal services in Scotland being rural. A united RM has a higher chance of profitability and thus, would be a net benefit to the Scottish Treasury even if it owns a minority stake.

Many people are against RM privatisation because they are attached to the institution. If Scotland nationalises it's postal service provider, you are in effect creating a new postal service provider, so you'll lose the institution of Royal Mail from Scotland, i.e the name, the trademarked Royal Mail red, the Queen's head on stamps, the history etc. What is the point of renationalisation if you lose the institution?

True and not unlike terms like UK or GB.
Would sound a but silly if Scotland politically moved on.

 

[maniacmartin]

How about a name like Royal Mail (Scotland) Plc with an agreement between both Royal Mails to share branding. That could give the impression of one company when it is actually two. A fair number of international brands are operated like this.