The 95p stamp could kill off letter-writing | Comment

Perhaps, if you’ve been nicely brought up, you’ll be thinking of writing your thank-you letters for an Easter egg, an Easter Sunday lunch or a “get well soon from Covid” card. If so, you’ll be in for a shock when you head for the post office. Because while you weren’t looking, the price of a first-class stamp went up by 10p to 95p. That’s right. Practically a pound. It’s quite possible the card you are sending will cost less than the stamp.

A pound to send a letter? How is it possible? The Royal Mail explains that there has been a long-term decline in letter usage, from a peak in 2004-05. Nick Landon, chief commercial officer of Royal Mail, says: “We need to carefully balance