It lost £319m in the first half of the year after losing £1bn the previous year amid crippling strike action. Bosses have put forward proposals to shake up the postal service’s so-called universal service obligation (USO), which requires it to deliver letters six days a week, warning that outdated regulations …
Read More »Royal Mail takeover to face national security scrutiny, says Hunt
The investor’s company EP Group has submitted a revised of 370p per share for the company, an increase of 16pc on a previous offer which had been rejected. The billionaire was previously vetted under national security and investment rules in October 2022, when his stake in the company rose to …
Read More »Badenoch to meet with Czech billionaire plotting takeover of Royal Mail
Mr Seidenberg is also understood to have used the meeting, which was arranged before Mr Kretinsky’s takeover bid emerged, to lobby for reform of Royal Mail’s universal service obligation (USO). The company has submitted proposals that would see second class letters delivered just three times a week, while the six-day …
Read More »Czech Sphinx must offer Royal Mail guarantees that protect the consumer
The Government has shown little appetite to mount a defence. The Chancellor has talked in platitudes about how there are lessons to be learned from the debt crisis that has engulfed Thames Water at the same time as repeating the tired yet vague mantra that Britain must ensure it continues …
Read More »Royal Mail set to be taken over by Czech billionaire
Keith Williams, chairman of IDS, said: “The board is minded to recommend this offer price, which it considers to be fair and reflects the value of GLS’ current growth plans and the progress being made on change at Royal Mail to adapt the business to a significant fall in the …
Read More »Royal Mail seeks to fast-track delivery shake-up after shock takeover bid
Royal Mail is pressuring regulators to approve plans for less frequent letter deliveries, as the company scrambles to fend off a £3.1bn takeover bid from a Czech billionaire. International Distributions Services (IDS), Royal Mail’s parent company, said foot-dragging by Ofcom had “held back” plans to modernise the company. Keith Williams, …
Read More »Royal Mail is a critical national asset – it should be treated as such
Labour may see a split as an opportunity to renationalise the Royal Mail, convinced that the state would make a better fist of reviving it. But shorn of the cross-subsidies that a highly profitable parcels operation provides, mounting losses from letter deliveries risk being immediately thrust onto the taxpayer. It’s …
Read More »How Russian gas is fuelling a bid for Royal Mail
The 48-year-old has cited his time growing up during the Velvet Revolution, as the overhaul of Czechoslovakia’s communist government is known, as a driving force behind his love of free markets. Kretinsky trained as a lawyer before joining Slovakian investment group J&T in 1999, where he made his name as …
Read More »Royal Mail suitor should face fit and proper person test
While Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last night declined to comment directly on the takeover bid, he signalled that the Government would revisit how “former public sector monopolies” are regulated to safeguard the provision of vital services. However, the Labour Party has signalled it is open to Mr Křetínský’s approach. A spokesman …
Read More »Royal Mail faces takeover bid from Czech billionaire
His ownership of significant stakes in Royal Mail and Sainsbury’s has forced him to be more open and, in his first British interview last year, he pledged to keep Royal Mail listed on the stock market, saying it was good if “every British citizen can invest in the shares”. Royal …
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