Selling off the family silver

Another day, another demonstration. This time it is against the government's hairbrained scheme to sell off one third of the Post Office. I was down at Westminster Hall, together with Rupert Read, lead Green Party European Parliamentary candidate in the East of England region, and members of the Green Party Trade Union Group to support the rally organised by the Communication Workers Union against these moves. Armed with placards and GPTU Group leaflets we expressed our support for the union and our opposition to the government's plan.

The rally was packed with postal workers from all over England and the doors had to be closed for health and safety reasons as no more workers would fit in the hall. Political reporters from all the television channels were everywhere and there was a palpable feeling of anger and hatred against Peter Mandelson and the government for doing this. In a special edition of the Mirror newspaper (free copies available at the back of the hall) there was an image of the beloved red post box on the front cover with the headline 'Save the Post Office'. Things are bad when even John Prescott plus 125 Labour MPs have come out publicly against this move.

The move to use the deficit in the Post Office pensions fund as a clincher arguement for privatisation and the release of the letter to that effect by the Chair of the Pension Fund Trustees is also very suspect. As Billy Hayes, the General Secretary of the CWU said, it is effectively blackmail and an attempt to bounce both MPs and the unions into privatisation.

The public is opposed to it and the mess which other privatisations such as rail have created stand as a grim warning. As a rebel Labour MP said today: "Privatisation is going out of fashion." It was Mac Millan, the former Tory Prime Minister who warned during the Thatcher privatisations that the government was "selling off the family silver". Once again New Labour demonstrate that if necessary they will use Cameron's Tories if necessary to vote through this disastrous policy with the consequent loss of jobs and decrease in service. The public are opposed to it as are the Green Party. Will the Lib Dems find their consciences or will they troop into the pro-privatisation lobby with Mandelson and Cameron?

The CWU has warned that the one million pound funding for the Labour Party could be at stake if this goes through. I would advise the union to wake up and smell the coffee. We are witnessing the betrayal of the trade union movement and public sector workers by New Labour on a large scale.