Universal Service Obligation
I understand that Cllr MacSween is raising the issue of the end of the USO today at the Council meeting, and no doubt crediting this blog with bringing the matter to his attention. :-))
It may just be a "limited" ending covering bulk mail, but it is clearly the thin end of the wedge, and you know what the next stage will be. Royal Mail is calling it "Zonal Pricing", which is about as obscure a piece of management speak as you would expect. The shear lack of transparency in the name should ring alarm bells.
Danny Alexander's EDM came about following the announcement by Postcomm on 2nd April that "Postcomm wrote to customers and operators about the application, letting them know that we had now been provided with sufficient information of good quality to assess Royal Mail's modified zonal pricing application, and that the nine-month assessment period had begun."
First it will be mailsort, then parcels, then we just won't get a service. It will be the small businesses that suffer first, closely followed by the householders.
It may just be a "limited" ending covering bulk mail, but it is clearly the thin end of the wedge, and you know what the next stage will be. Royal Mail is calling it "Zonal Pricing", which is about as obscure a piece of management speak as you would expect. The shear lack of transparency in the name should ring alarm bells.
Danny Alexander's EDM came about following the announcement by Postcomm on 2nd April that "Postcomm wrote to customers and operators about the application, letting them know that we had now been provided with sufficient information of good quality to assess Royal Mail's modified zonal pricing application, and that the nine-month assessment period had begun."
First it will be mailsort, then parcels, then we just won't get a service. It will be the small businesses that suffer first, closely followed by the householders.
11 comments:
So why didn't our MP bring this to the attention of the Comhairle? He has enough time to sign EDMs - does he read them?
He is supposed to be there to look after our interests, not have a jolly.
Angus MacNeil's record:
Successes
Front page of the Sunday rags (see below)
Failures
Postal charges
Piper malfunction in Orkney
Absence of achievements
The following motion was proposed by Cllr D J MacSween last night, and passed unanimously:
‘The Chief Executive be authorised to take such steps as may be necessary to preserve the Universal Service Obligation and express the Comhairle’s support for Danny Alexander MP’s Early Day Motion in this regard and encourage our own and all other rural MPs to support this motion and, if possible, to promote a Private Members’ Bill.’
To be fair, Angus MacNeil was "Best Scot at Westminster" in the Scottish Politician of the Year awards last year. That's the first time a Western Isles politician (from any party) has won an award at the SPOTY.
The previous winners of his award were Gordon Brown (twice), John Reid and Alisdair Darling, Robin Cook, Menzies Campbell and Des Browne. Not bad company to be in.
He has risen without trace, other than being the one to 'front' a joint SNP/Plaid publicity stunt.
Name even one thing he has done for the islands?
Nobody can name a single thing he has done for the Western Isles. He might be the first politician from the Western Isles to win an award at Westminster. He is also the first MP from the Western Isles to make the front page of national newspapers for buying drink for underage girls. It is a sad day when elected members at Comhairle have to contact an MP from Inverness to try and push a Private Members bill through parliament, when they cannot rely on our own MP. This just shows us what a waste of space our MP is.
anonymous 12.53 pm - have you ever contacted your MP directly with your concerns? Or do you just find it more satisfying fulminating anonymously on blogs, when you know fine that no-one you're criticising is going to answer?
Eyoop
I've contacted Angus MacNeil regarding an urgent matter that I needed his help with last December and I've yet to even receive an acknowledgement. I was a fully paid up member of the SNP at the time but that obviously didn't make any difference. I then contacted Alistair Morrison then MSP and to be fair to the guy he answered me and dealt with the issue with the government body concerned.
You should really make sure that your leaders will deliver what you suggest or else there may be even more disgruntled voters.
You're a lucky guy, "Lewis or die". I contacted Alistair Morrison about 4 years ago. He replied with a holding letter saying he'd get back to me. I'm still waiting for a reply!
A quick look at Theyworkforyou.com shows Angus Macneill speaking during debates covering, amongst other things, Cal Mac ferries, fisheries and the Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill in the past 6 months.
Shocking - none of these are of any relevance to the Western Isles!
he has spoken in many debates, but what has that achieved? The Calmac debate was initiated by someone else and is entirely about a devolved power.
fishing: didn't angus nicolson take part in the ministerial meeting where this was decided upon?
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