Bristol West Constituency Labour Party has backed the CWU campaign to modernise the Royal Mail wholly within public ownership.

"The Bristol West CLP believes that the Government should stand by its 2005 Manifesto commitment on the Royal Mail and Post Office.

We recognize that reform is necessary but in this instance privatization is not appropriate. We urge the Government to investigate all models that allow for full public ownership of this important, profitable and popular public service."

Paul Smith, who spoke at a recent public meeting jointly organised by the lobby group Compass and the postal workers union CWU said, "Any sale of the post office would involve asset stripping rather than investment and a move away from a service rooted in an ethos of public service into one driven by the desire to return profits to its owners.  The Post Office is generating a daily surplus of £1m which should be ploughed into the pension fund and modernisation".