Another bruising round in store for Royal Mail boss | Business

If Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail, finds it hard to get to sleep over the next two days, there will be an obvious reason why. On Wednesday afternoon he will appear before MPs on the business select committee in what is likely to be one of the most testing sessions for an executive facing a parliamentary body.

It will be the second time Thompson has faced his inquisitors. Last month he appeared to answer questions about the company. While there is no formal inquiry, committee members were keen to press him on poor standards of service, disruptions to deliveries caused by a spate of strikes and Royal Mail’s future.

It did not go well. There have been many fiery encounters between MPs and