The Scottish National Party claims the future of the Royal Mail is a key election battleground, as one minister describes the government's privatisation plans as madness.

Plans by the government to privatise the Royal Mail are "simply madness", according to a leading Scottish politician.

Christine Grahame, south of Scotland MSP for the Scottish National Party (SNP), claims the plans are "utterly extraordinary" and has called for ministers to stand up to the plans outlined by Lord Mandelson.

The SNP has outlined the future of the Royal Mail as a key election battleground at their party conference, at a time when postal workers are protesting against the privatisation plans at the Labour conference in Gillingham.

Ms Grahame added that Lord Mandelson "is bounding where even the great privateer Mrs Thatcher feared to tread".

"We have witnessed the damage done to the Post Office by Labour's local closure program, and we cannot diminish our postal services further," she stated.

It was recently reported that the Royal Mail has stopped five post bus services across the Highlands of Scotland.

The Diabaig to Achnasheen, Applecross to Torridon and Torridon to Strathcarron routes in Wester Ross and also the Thurso to Tongue and Bettyhill to Thurso services all stopped running on April 16th.


Article Added: 21/04/2009 09:33:22