Commenting on the announcement that the Westminster government has confirmed the sale of shares in Royal Mail, Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil said:
“Many people in our islands contacted me and took the time to get involved with the campaign against Royal Mail privatisation.
"This is a deeply flawed Westminster decision, which threatens to have particularly harmful consequences for Scotland where so many of our rural communities and so much of our rural economy rely on our existing Royal Mail service. The UK Government are refusing to heed the real and genuine concerns that privatisation will mean a reduction in rural services as companies cherry-pick and compete in the larger urban areas."
"Given our experience of previous privatisations no one believes that the regulator will provide real protection to consumers on either prices or services.
“Royal Mail privatisation is a consequence of leaving powers over Scotland’s postal services in London. It is not surprising then that at some point a Tory government comes along and privatises. All the unionist parties have to face up to the reality that a consequence of arguing against independence is Royal Mail privatisation. It is this that drives those with greater vision towards independence as they understand that its only when we have the powers over matters in Scotland, can we do what people in Scotland choose. We can be sure that when George Osborne decided to privatise Royal Mail the consequences on rural Scotland, the Highlands and the Islands did not figure in his thinking. Bizarrely, Labour want this situation to continue.”
