Labour’s Darren Jones makes impassioned case for government to renationalise Royal Mail

Former Labour minister Darren Jones has made an impassioned case for the renationalisation of Royal Mail, saying that no one should shy away from saying that ‘privatisation was a mistake’.

During a debate in the Commons on Monday, Jones told MPs: “The only conclusion I can come to is that the business model is not fit for purpose, and we should not be shy in coming forward and saying this: the privatisation of the Royal Mail and its separation from the Post Office was a mistake.

“The coalition government got this wrong, and so I hope it will now turn to this Labour government to put it right.”

He said: “If ministers agree with me that privatisation of the Royal Mail was a failure, then the only other real option is to renationalise it.

“The House may be surprised to hear me, of all people, say that – I am not a natural fan of the government borrowing yet more money to nationalise businesses that can be effectively run by the private sector.

“But this has been proven: the Royal Mail is an example of a business that cannot be run effectively by the private sector, think carefully about the end of this public service, because once it is gone it will not come back.”

Jones went on to add: “A Royal Mail back in public hands. Reintegrated with the post office network, a tangible example of change in every postcode.”

In the debate, Ian Lavery, the Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington, said: “A postal service isn’t a luxury, it’s an essential, critical public service.

“It should exist to serve the public interest, not simply the interests of the market.

“And if the private ownership cannot deliver the reliable universal service that people have every right to expect, then the government must be prepared to act…

“Renationalise the Royal Mail and see how that develops.”