Was That The Right Poll Question?

[Hypognosis]

The One Show is running its first ever phone poll just now.

The question is "Would you buy shares in the Post Office when it is privatised?"

Shouldn't this have been "Can you afford to buy shares in the Post Office when it is privatised?"

They certainly know which side their bread is buttered, don't they?
Lackeys.

[factor-fiction]

They correctly said Royal Mail and stressed it's not the Post Office.
If you can't afford it your answer would be No.

[Buenchico]

If you've quoted the question correctly, if was definitely wrong because there are no plans whatsoever to privatise the Post Office. It's Royal Mail which is to be privatised, which has been separate to the Post Office for over a decade!

[Hypognosis]

Gah! Brain fart on my part then.

Okay, substitute Royal Mail for "Post Office" in my OP and try again.

[Hypognosis]

Curiously, even those who are still doing quite well for themselves, in the midst of all this belt-tightening and can afford the things, voted 73% No, they would not buy these shares.

Sounds like a vote of no confidence in the whole organisation to me. :-(

[Old_Geezer]

The question could be better by the look of it. I interpreted it as being asked if you would if you could afford to. So affording it wouldn't be an issue, that the question was more whether you thought investing was a good idea.

IMO a company that has had all its profitable parts already cherry picked by others, and would probably still have an obligation to deliver and collect mail everywhere on top, ought not be touched with a bargepole. But then I recall from some past privatisations that governments like to keep funding these things even after they've been sold, using public money to effectively fund the dividends of the new owners, so I guess the answer depends on whether one is happy abusing the public for personal gain.

[Hypognosis]

Public funds going into organisatoins post-privatization?

Sounds like a scandal to me. When you get a spare moment, feel free to indulge me wth a clue or three.

Not the railways, surely?

[gollob]

The mail service was privatised in Italy and it is very successful

[Hypognosis]

Hi gollob, thanks for replying.

However, my question is less about whether anyone thinks a privatised Royal Mail would be successful or not and more about finding out if anyone else thinks it is mean of the Tories to try to sell it off at a time when most people are "tightening their belts".

Of course, if even the Tory party's rich mates turn their noses up at the opportunity, due to being more practiced at investing and better informed than Joe Public, then that's a sign that no-one believes there is any growth potential in it, as a business.

This puts out worrying signs and makes it appear that there are some big bills on the horizon - vehicle fleet replacement, building maintenance, raft of redundancies and so on - which the government is keen not to have to foot the bill for.

A bit like selling an old dog just before the vet bills become cripplingly expensive... :-/