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| Labour MP quits government post | Labour MP quits government post |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Labour MP Jim McGovern has resigned from the government in protest at plans to part-privatise Royal Mail. | Labour MP Jim McGovern has resigned from the government in protest at plans to part-privatise Royal Mail. |
| Mr McGovern, MP for Dundee West, had been parliamentary private secretary to business minister Pat McFadden, whose department is overseeing the changes. | Mr McGovern, MP for Dundee West, had been parliamentary private secretary to business minister Pat McFadden, whose department is overseeing the changes. |
| He said it "beggars belief" that Dutch company TNT could be brought in to advise Royal Mail on its operations. | |
| Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who announced the plans, insists Royal Mail will remain "publicly owned". | Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who announced the plans, insists Royal Mail will remain "publicly owned". |
| Mr McGovern, an MP since 2005, is a former glazier and and activist for the GMB trade union. | Mr McGovern, an MP since 2005, is a former glazier and and activist for the GMB trade union. |
| In a statement, he said: "I believe a PPS (parliamentary private secretary) has to be fully supportive of proposals of the department which they serve. | |
| "In this case I do not support what looks to me like partial privatisation of the Royal Mail." | |
| A number of backbench Labour MPs have attacked the government's move to inject private capital into the Royal Mail and have pledged to fight the plan. | |
| Mr McGovern said: "In his statement Pat McFadden said he welcomed an expression of interest from the Dutch postal company TNT, for me it simply beggars belief that we would employ the services of a company from abroad to tell the Royal Mail in this country where they are going wrong." |