'Poisonous' privatisation of Royal Mail will cost the Conservatives votes in 2015, Bow Group warns Tory MPs He said: "It is of great importance that the Conservative Party and the Government pause and consider the implications of pushing through privatisation at this time. It is likely to be deeply unpopular with the British public, prices will rise at a time we can least afford it, an amenity that many communities consider crucial will be removed and a sell off will also impact on the significant heritage of Royal Mail. The privatisation of Royal Mail is likely to swiftly form a poisonous legacy for the Government now, and a poisonous legacy for the Conservative Party going forward. The Bow Group is the oldest Conservative think tank in Britain, tracing its roots back to 1951. Mr Harris-Quinney added privatisation could endanger "the financial stability of Post Offices" in rural areas by separating Royal Mail further from the 11,500-network. He urged the Conservative MPs to make their concerns known to the Tory Postal Services minister Michael Fallon, who is in charge of the sell-off. He said: "The 2011 Postal Services Act was passed with little fanfare or debate ... Since that time there has been worryingly little political debate about the merits of privatising Royal Mail. We have gone from an unheralded Act of Parliament to an equally unheralded privatisation without fully considering the impact this might have on the postal service itself, our national infrastructure and on our party. I believe we should apply some simple political tests before proceeding with this controversial sale - has the case for privatisation been made? Is it the best deal for the country? Is it popular with the public? Is it politically beneficial to our party? In all cases the answer is clearly 'no'. Electorally it could be quite damaging for the Conservative Party, which might explain the lack of debate about the issue. In a speech last month, Mr Fallon said that privatising Britain's national postal operator was "the way to put Royal Mail onto a long-term sustainable basis." Cash raised from the privatisation would help Royal Mail to "modernise and become more efficient and competitive," Mr Fallon said. But he stressed that the Government has still not decided whether to float Royal Mail on the London Stock Market, or sell a stake in it to a rival firm. Letter from Benjamin Harris-Quinney, Chairman - The Bow Group, to every Conservative MP in the House of Commons Royal Mail privatisation The 2011 Postal Services Act was passed with little fanfare or debate. The product of a Liberal Democrat Secretary of State, it was also our coalition partner that steered that legislation through Parliament. Only recently a respected independent postal services economist, Ian Senior, predicted that the universal postal service will soon disappear. Ill-conceived privatisation will surely act to hasten that eventuality. It is of great importance that the Conservative Party and the Government pause and consider the implications of pushing through privatisation at this time. You will be only too aware of the importance of both Royal Mail and Post Office services, especially in rural communities. They are a highly valued part of the fabric of local life and relied upon by many as the sole local amenity for hundreds of communities. However, the Post Office network has already been separated from Royal Mail and privatisation can only lead in the long term to further fragmentation thus endangering the financial stability of Post Offices yet further. In all cases the answer is clearly "no." This is not a left/right issue - successive governments have tried to sell Royal Mail. In addition the economic outlook suggests that the tax payer will not be able to realise full value from a sale at this time. Indeed it is estimated that revenue from a sale might be as low as £1bn - hardly a sum that can compensate for the national and political damage it will cause. Ministers can save themselves a lot of headaches if they argue that tax payer's interests must come first, and therefore the sale is postponed. The Bow Group will be holding an event in June to discuss this issue in more depth and we will send you an invitation nearer the time. In the meantime if you share these concerns, please write to Michael Fallon and let him know or get in touch at the address provided above. Benjamin Harris-Quinney Chairman, The Bow Group