GOVERNMENT approval of Royal Mail’s sale to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky offers the best hope for renationalising the historic postal service, Communication Workers Union (CWU) said today.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds also announced a raft of legally binding commitments as the government sanctioned the sale to the foreign equity investor’s EP Group.

These include granting the government a “golden share” in the more than 500-year-old service, which means it must approve any key changes to Royal Mail’s ownership, headquarters location and tax residency.