Meacher joins mail revolt

Oldham MP Michael Meacher has joined the biggest backbench revolt since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister over plans to part privatise Royal Mail.

He is one of 67 Labour MPs, including former ministers Malcolm Wicks and Frank Dobson, on a collision course with Government.

They have signed an early day motion (EDM) warning that selling a minority stake in the postal group would risk fracturing “one of Britain’s greatest public services.”

The motion, appearing on the Commons order paper for the first time today, says Labour’s annual conference last year supported a vision of a wholly publicly–owned Royal Mail Group.