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Royal Mail is under fire for failing to deliver millions of letters on time (Image: Getty)
Nearly 220million letters will be delivered late by Royal Mail this year, according to a cross-party group of MPs investigating reports of failure at the heart of the nation’s postal services. Royal Mail is on course to deliver 126million first-class letters late this year, despite the price of a stamp rising to £1.80, the business and trade committee warns.
It claims 93million second-class letters will not arrive on time. The MPs have launched their investigation in response to reports of late deliveries resulting in people missing important notices, medical appointments and celebrations.
Liam Byrne, the committee’s chairman, said: “This investigation is exposing just how bad Royal Mail has become.”
Lisa Webb, of the consumer rights group Which?, said: “It’s completely unacceptable that Royal Mail is missing its targets and letting customers down, especially when people have almost no other choices on how to post their letters. Royal Mail must urgently up its game or risk losing the trust of millions of customers across the country.”
Royal Mail’s own figures show that 92.1% of mail has been delivered on time in 2025-26, but this is true for just 74.9% of first-class mail.
Dame Harriett Baldwin, shadow postal affairs minister, said: “People are paying more and getting less from Royal Mail. The Government must take responsibility, hold Royal Mail to account and protect the Universal Service people rely on.
“Ministers need to get a grip and make sure the postal service delivers the standards the public are paying for.”
Read more: ‘Royal Mail was meant to collect our guitar – instead they stole all our food’
Read more: Royal Mail warns 82 postcodes facing delivery delays — full list
In October, regulator Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21million for missing its 2024-25 delivery targets.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “People across Britain are paying more and more for stamps, yet getting a worse service in return.
“Royal Mail was once a world-class national service, but years of mismanagement and political complacency under Labour and the Conservatives have left customers paying the price. Britain deserves a postal service that works, not one where missed deliveries have become the norm.’
Liam Byrne: ‘This investigation is exposing just how bad Royal Mail has become’ (Image: -)
Royal Mail says it does not recognise the numbers quoted by the committee. Representatives will be grilled by MPs on March 24.
A spokesperson said: “We always try to ensure that all mail – letters and parcels – is delivered on time. Recent quality of service figures show 92% of letters are delivered on time, but we recognise there is more to do to deliver a consistently high level of service everywhere.
“We do not operate a general policy of prioritising parcel deliveries over letters, and our standard operating procedure in delivery offices is that they should clear the office of all letters and parcels every day.”
“Attending the Business and Trade Committee will give us the opportunity to discuss the work we are doing to transform Royal Mail and the urgent need to implement changes to the Universal Service to deliver the services our customers want and ensure we are financially sustainable for the long term.”
A government spokesperson said: “The public rightly expects a well-run postal service and Minister McDougall recently met with the CEO of Royal Mail about improving the quality of the service. We will continue to ensure Royal Mail works to deliver the quality service people expect.”
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