Royal Mail: Performance

Derek Twigg Excerpts

Wednesday 18th March 2026 Westminster Hall

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Derek Twigg (in the Chair)]

Order. Members can see that the debate is heavily subscribed, so it will be difficult to get every Member in. I am going to impose a two-minute limit to start. It is not in my gift to stop this, but if Members take interventions, that may further restrict the time that people have to speak. That is in your gift.

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Derek Twigg (in the Chair)]

Order. I reiterate that there is a strict two-minute time limit on speeches.

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[Margaret Mullane (Dagenham and Rainham) (Lab)]

I think that we would be hard pressed to find an MP or member of the public who does not support their local postie. We know their value, and they were considered the fourth emergency service during the pandemic. What a shame that we did not hold on to that mantle for them as, if we had, I suspect that the service would be much better today.

We have heard a lot about two-tier delivery in Parliament and across the media in the past week. Prioritisation of parcels means that days and days of urgent mail is often left in the sorting office. Despite dedicated posties requesting overtime to clear backlogs, the message from Royal Mail management is clear: they want the service to fail. They are making the job harder for staff on the ground by freezing overtime and forcing unsustainable workloads, and we are seeing a managed decline of a treasured British institution. Since 2022, worse pay and drastic watering down of terms and conditions have seen 27,000 new employees leave in the first year. The Royal Mail used to be a job for life.

I have an excellent relationship with the posties in the CWU east London postal branch and in my own constituency in Dagenham and Rainham. That is due to the late Lee Waker, a councillor who was a dedicated postie and a CWU political officer—a legend.

Last year, Ofcom concluded their assessment of postal service reforms. It announced that the specification for the universal service obligation will change, and referenced letter decline as a key driver. Tell that to the millions of people waiting for medical appointments or facing late fees, which hon. Members have mentioned. If things do not change, we might be telling people that their postal vote was not counted because Royal Mail bosses have delayed people’s votes—their democratic right.

Royal Mail need to listen to the CWU and to Government. I want to say in the strongest possible terms that this is not the fault of our posties; they pride themselves—

[Derek Twigg (in the Chair)]

Order.

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[Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby) (Lab)]

Will the hon. Member give way?

[Derek Twigg (in the Chair)]

I think that the Member has finished speaking.

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[Sadik Al-Hassan (North Somerset) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. The performance of Royal Mail is an issue of significant concern across North Somerset. Issues with deliveries are having real consequences for residents and businesses alike. In the light of concerns highlighted to me, I launched a survey in mid-February to ask constituents about their experiences with Royal Mail. I have also been working constructively with local CWU representatives and meeting staff in sorting offices to understand the challenges Royal Mail is facing and to find practical solutions. I am grateful for the engagement and look forward to continuing those conversations.

The issue was brought into sharp focus for me in January when I hosted a town hall for constituents. Many residents unfortunately received their event invitations after the town hall had already happened. One property business in Clevedon shared its experience. The business deals with house and flat sales, where deadlines carry real legal weight. The business went nearly two weeks without a single delivery. Royal Mail said it is either a staffing issue or that other delivery routes are taking priority. The property business asked whether it might be able to collect its post directly from the local sorting office, but it was told that that would not be possible.

According to my survey, 87% of respondents in North Somerset are experiencing delays, and 53% said that delayed deliveries had caused them to miss appointments and deadlines. Those figures reflect a level of disruption that goes beyond what most North Somerset residents would consider acceptable, and it is a concern shared by staff. One of my survey respondents has stage 4 cancer. They manage over 50 medical appointments alongside work and caring for a four-year-old child. They depend on NHS letters to manage care and plan their life around it, and one key appointment letter sent in December has still not arrived. As a pharmacist, I see that risk as unacceptable.

Our posties are a pillar of our community, working tirelessly in all weathers to deliver a vital postal service. I want to be clear: my concerns are with systemic issues in our postal system. Perhaps, as the CWU asks, Royal Mail should be back—

[Derek Twigg (in the Chair)]

Order. Unfortunately, we are now going to have to move to a time limit of a minute and a half. I am still trying to get everybody in.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

As the proud son of a Blackpool postie, I declare my interest in this debate and refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I start by thanking all our posties in Blackpool and across the country for their vital service. Despite the privatisation of Royal Mail, they maintain a sense of pride as public servants, knowing better than anyone their role in our communities as a recognisable face, a trusted person and a point of contact. It is vital that we protect them and the service they deliver.

Posties in Blackpool South have told me they are forced to prioritise parcels over letters—allegations that are echoed across the country and in Westminster Hall today—but every undelivered letter abandoned at a sorting office until tomorrow represents a real-world consequence: a missed medical appointment for an elderly constituent, a missed benefit notification for a single parent or an important notice for local business. Those communications are a national priority for local residents—something no other courier can compete with. That is why we need to ensure that Royal Mail delivers its national service.

Rather than setting itself apart, Royal Mail appears to be intent on joining the race and becoming just another parcel courier with gig economy terms and conditions for its workforce. We have a responsibility to ensure that that is not allowed to happen. Improvements to service quality are impossible unless the company agrees to an urgent pathway to equalising workers’ terms and conditions. We must ensure that the new owners stick to their agreements with the CWU and the Government, and for the sake of preserving this 500-year-old institution—

[Derek Twigg (in the Chair)]

Order.