Alex Salmond has been branded a hypocrite for using private firms to deliver the SNP’s blueprint for independence.
The White Paper calls for Royal Mail to be brought back into public hands, but the Scottish Government admitted private firms will help deliver the document. Thousands of copies are due to be posted to voters in the coming months.
When the Westminster government privatised Royal Mail in October, the First Minister led the criticism and vowed to renationalise the service.
But new figures show the Scottish Government has spent more than £1 million a month with private postal companies in the last 18 months.
A spokesman for the Communications Workers Union said: “It seems hypocritical that a government committed to re-nationalising Royal Mail is maintaining contracts with private firms.”
TNT holds the contract for day to day postal services with the Scottish Government. Royal Mail has the contract for “planned mail” such as bills and mailshots.
However, anyone taking up the offer of a copy of Scotland’s Future can’t be sure who’ll deliver it. Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: “The SNP are facing two ways at once.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “Copies of Scotland’s Future are being distributed by Royal Mail Parcelforce, as well as other delivery companies.”
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