tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-232296152011-11-14T08:18:36.106-08:00Post Office and Royal Mail MotionI use this site to test things for my other blogsJonathan Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12335108244369275069noreply@blogger.comBlogger51100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23229615.post-38390129373028884822010-04-06T17:22:00.000-07:002010-04-06T17:22:08.814-07:00zSHARE - Podcast Election 2010 Day 1 - Beware of the Dragon.wma<a href="http://www.zshare.net/download/746824939db07dd8/">zSHARE - Podcast Election 2010 Day 1 - Beware of the Dragon.wma</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/23229615-3839012937302888482?l=postofficemotion.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Jonathan Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12335108244369275069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23229615.post-73555694014240430352008-05-31T17:11:00.000-07:002008-05-31T17:22:09.754-07:00test of audio<p><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-81b9934bf13e8f92" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v19.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D81b9934bf13e8f92%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1329894777%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D14520ACEB8D24CF74C196253D730022E569AF7C2.EFD42C559C8DE9068FB92ED3791B585D7602E60%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D81b9934bf13e8f92%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DT4spu2t06qL20Dcy2gQ_cpoCj0w&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"width="320" height="266" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v19.nonxt2.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D81b9934bf13e8f92%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1329894777%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D14520ACEB8D24CF74C196253D730022E569AF7C2.EFD42C559C8DE9068FB92ED3791B585D7602E60%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D81b9934bf13e8f92%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DT4spu2t06qL20Dcy2gQ_cpoCj0w&autoplay=0&ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /></object></p><p>test of video</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/23229615-7355569401424043035?l=postofficemotion.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Jonathan Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12335108244369275069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23229615.post-1159105727124844662006-09-24T06:48:00.000-07:002006-11-16T10:21:25.437-08:00I've produced a video of each of the speakers at the Blogger of the Year awards. They are now on Youtube if you want to view them.<br /><br />Lynne Featherstone: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpNjRjL26CA">Lynne Featherstone at Blogger of the Year Award September 2006</a><br />Stephen Tall: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HGuOFlQJUY">Stephen Tall at Blogger of the Year Award September 2006</a><br />Alex Wilcox: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTonk0nUmNo">Alex Wilcox at Blogger of the Year Award September 2006</a><br />Mark Pack: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_tLGROEAR8">Mark Pack at Blogger of the Year Award September 2006</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/23229615-115910572712484466?l=postofficemotion.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Jonathan Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12335108244369275069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23229615.post-1151344950241501812006-06-26T11:02:00.000-07:002006-11-16T10:21:25.135-08:00<b>Video Focus April 2006</b><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.com/v/u0jDBO7rhSw"></param><embed src="http://youtube.com/v/u0jDBO7rhSw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br>Video Focus from April 2006<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/23229615-115134495024150181?l=postofficemotion.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Jonathan Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12335108244369275069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23229615.post-1141231583668048022006-03-01T08:40:00.000-08:002006-11-16T10:21:24.865-08:00Conference motion - Saturday 4th March 2006Liberal Democrats will be debating a motion to save Post Offices from closure and to secure the future of the Royal Mail at the spring conference in Harrogate (3-5 March 2006). The motion is as follows:<br /><br />Securing Royal Mail and the Post Office<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="<br /><br />Conference notes with concern:<br /><br />A. The failure of both the current Labour and previous Conservative governments to support and invest in the Post Office network and the closure of over 7000 branches.<br />B. The likelihood of significant further closures of rural sub-post offices, as a result of a failure by the Labour Government to take any effective action to breathe new life into sub-post offices.<br />C. That Royal Mail’s delivery operation has been starved of investment by the Government for more than 20 years with serious consequences for its ability to compete effectively.<br />D. That this failure to invest could put at risk the long term ability of Royal Mail to meet the Universal Service Obligation (USO) under which mail is delivered to every household and business at uniform prices.<br /><br />Conference further notes that:<br /><br />I. The Royal Mail monopoly on the delivery of mail ended on 1st January, 2006, with the company now facing competition in a fully liberalised market.<br /><br />II. Investment in modernisation totalling £1.2 billion is now to be paid for by significant price increases for consumers announced by the Regulator, Postcomm.<br /><br />III. Royal Mail has a pension fund deficit of approximately £4.25 billion.<br /><br />IV. The freedoms available to competitors to raise funds for investment capital are not available to Royal Mail because it needs permission from the Treasury and the DTI to borrow, with such borrowings counting against the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement, and competing with other public sector priorities.<br /><br />V. Business mail, which makes up approximately 90% of mail carried by Royal Mail, subsidises the universal service obligation (USO).<br /><br />VI. Royal Mail's competitors are seeking to win a substantial share of business mail.<br /><br />VII. Any significant loss of market share by Royal Mail could endanger its ability to meet the USO.<br /><br />VIII. There are serious conflicts of interest inherent in the new arrangements for the mail delivery system because the Department for Trade and Industry:<br /><br />a) has an obligation to promote the overall health of the mail market;<br />b) owns the main operator;<br />c) is responsible for setting the regulatory framework<br />d) appoints the regulator.<br /><br />IX. Royal Mail has no incentive to maintain unprofitable but socially important sub post offices and has a positive interest in preventing them from winning new business from other mail delivery companies.<br /><br />Conference believes that reforms are needed so that:<br /><br />i) Royal Mail can have the freedom to make investment decisions to give it the best chance of succeeding in the new liberalised market.<br /><br />ii) The USO is guaranteed as a vital public service.<br /><br />iii) The staff of Royal Mail can share in the success of the company.<br /><br />iv) The decline in the Post Office network is reversed and branches are improved and enhanced.<br /><br />Conference believes therefore that these outcomes can best be achieved through:<br /><br />a) Separating Post Office Ltd from Royal Mail Group and retaining Post Office Limited in the public sector, giving post offices the opportunity to develop new business.<br />b) Establishing a shared ownership model for Royal Mail with a 51% majority of shares divided equally between the government and a Trust for Royal Mail staff with half of the remaining 49% of shares sold directly to staff and small investors and the remaining shares being offered for sale to the market.<br />c) Ensuring that Royal Mail staff have a full opportunity to participate in the running of the company as part owners and through a staff council.<br />d) A statutory guarantee to protect the USO.<br />e) Giving Postcomm, the Regulator, the power to place a levy on other operators who do not undertake the USO, to pay towards its cost.<br /><br />Conference further believes that the establishment of Post Office Ltd as a separate, publicly owned company will create the opportunity to protect and enhance the existing Post Office network. To ensure the network is able to prosper, conference calls for:<br /><br />1) A statutory requirement on the Government to maintain the Post Office network.<br /><br />2) The establishment of an investment fund, likely to be up to £2 billion, from the proceeds of the sale of shares, for the purposes of:<br /><br />a. Branch modernisation<br />b. Providing start up and investment capital to assist sub-postmasters and mistresses in building profitable businesses<br />c. The provision of training<br />d. The promotion of services which sub-post offices could provide on behalf of local authorities and central government<br />e. Supporting the opening of new Post Office branches where there are serious gaps in the existing network.<br /><br />3) Sub-post offices to be used as shop fronts for a variety of public bodies such as local councils, the police and central government.<br /><br />4) Freedom for post offices to win new business as the collection and deposit point for both Royal Mail and other delivery companies, taking advantage of opportunities from increasing internet shopping and trading.<br /><br />5) Individual sub-post offices to be given the freedom to enter agreements with private sector companies for bill payment and other services.<br /><br />Conference calls on Liberal Democrats to campaign against the dismal failure of both Labour and the Conservatives to protect the Post Office network and ensure Royal Mail is able to compete effectively.<br /><br />Applicability: Federal<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/23229615-114123158366804802?l=postofficemotion.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Jonathan Wallacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12335108244369275069noreply@blogger.com0