Ministers are drawing up legislation to make sure the Queen’s head stays on their stamps after it emerged that a foreign firm could buy the Royal Mail and remove her image.
Under the privatisation plans drawn up by Labour, the Queen would get a prohibition over the use of her image on stamps. But they do not insist her head is shown meaning any new proprietor could have scrapped it.
The crisis was spotted by the Liberal Democrat Postal Services Minister Ed Davey. The Government was in talks with Buckingham Palace to endorse an amendment that would ensure the Queen’s image cannot be removed.
The monarch’s head has been on British postage stamps ever since the first was created by Sir Rowland Hill in 1830. The UK is the only country in the world that carries the Queen’s head alone, rather than the name of the nation.
Mr Davey said: ‘I am completely committed to legislating to ensure that the Queen stays on British stamps. Anyone would be stark staring mad to want the Queen’s head detached from our stamps.’ Privatisation of Royal Mail could hoist £8billion. Germany’s Deutsche Post is the favourite to acquire it.
Labour accused the Government of leaving the loophole to make Royal Mail more beautiful to bidders, but Mr Davey said the offending clauses were drawn up by Labour.
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