Royal Mail has been referred to Ofcom by a committee of MPs who claim it’s been failing to deliver letters six days a week.
The company’s CEO has also been accused of “incompetence or cluelessness”.
The Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee – which is a cross-parliamentary committee made up of MPs nationwide – has asked the industry regulator to investigate a suspected breach of the universal service obligation (USO) requiring the country’s national postal service to deliver letters six days a week.
Following the publication of its inquiry report into Royal Mail’s activities, the committee says the postal service had “systematically failed” in its duty to deliver letters, and claimed to find that the company had prioritised more lucrative parcels instead.
Because of this, the committee says it has asked Ofcom to open an enforcement investigation.
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The committee’s inquiry took place amid a turbulent time for the Royal Mail when 112,000 of its staff -who were members of Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) – staged “the biggest strike of the summer” and several other subsequent walk-outs last year in a still-ongoing dispute over pay and the company’s modernisation plans.
Royal Mail referred to Ofcom to investigate late deliveries and ‘incompetence’ / Credit: Royal Mail
MPs forming part of the committee have also taken aim at Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson, accusing him in the report of “incompetence or cluelessness”, and of being “not wholly accurate” in answers he’d previously provided in a testimony – with the boss therefore recalled last month to give further evidence.
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“I find it hard to believe that such widespread breaches of company policy and legal obligations are down to a national network of rogue workers conspiring against management at Royal Mail,” Committee chairman Darren Jones said as the report was published this week.
“We were inundated with evidence from postal workers challenging the accuracy of answers given by Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson.
“Frankly, the failures in company policy which Mr Thompson has admitted to can only be due to either an unacceptable level of incompetence or an unacceptable level of cluelessness about what is happening at Royal Mail.
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“Hiding behind the pandemic as a driving factor in failures at Royal Mail does not cut it.”
A committee of MPs claim the postal service has been failing to deliver letters six days a week / Credit: Royal Mail
In response to the accusations by the committee, and the confirmation that an investigation is to be launched, a spokesperson for Royal Mail said: “Royal Mail is proud to deliver the universal service, and our policies are clear that parcels and letters should be treated with equal importance, so we have informed the committee that we will be reviewing the consistent application of our policies regarding the delivery of letters and parcels across the business.”
The company said it would share the findings of the review with Ofcom.
Ofcom said it would not hesitate to “take enforcement action if required”, with a spokesperson adding: “Royal Mail’s recent performance is clearly well short of where it should be, and we’re very concerned about this
“We have asked the company to explain what it’s doing to bring service levels back up as a matter of urgency.”
Featured Image – Royal Mail
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Transport Secretary commits to ‘transformational’ rail deal with Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The Transport Secretary has signed a ‘transformational’ rail deal for Greater Manchester.
The Government has formally agreed to work with Greater Manchester and Mayor Andy Burnham on plans for a new railway connecting Liverpool and Manchester, via Warrington, as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
The new Liverpool-Manchester line is said to underpin the Northern Growth Corridor – which is a bold strategy to drive growth from the Mersey to the Pennines, stretching into Yorkshire, Lancashire, North Wales, and beyond – with a key connection at Manchester Airport.
Local analysis has suggested that the new line could generate around £90 billion in additional revenue by 2040.
Also, as part of the major investment of up to £45 billion – which was announced a couple of weeks back, and is tipped to transform rail travel across the North – the Government has also said it will work with Greater Manchester partners to explore an underground option at Manchester Piccadilly station, recognising its potential as a ‘catalyst for growth’.
Local leaders say they are keen to demonstrate how an underground station could turn Piccadilly into a ‘Kings Cross of the North’.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander met with Mayor Andy Burnham last week to sign the formal agreement.
The agreement recognises the potential for an underground solution at Manchester Piccadilly, while also acknowledging the need for further ‘testing’ to make sure it will deliver value for money, and additionally sets out how the Government will work with Greater Manchester on the wider NPR scheme – which will be delivered in three stages, with the Liverpool-Manchester line to be built in the second phase.
The Transport Secretary has committed to a ‘transformational’ rail deal with Greater Manchester / Credit: TfGM (Supplied)
A formal review of the underground option at Manchester Piccadilly is to be lead by local leaders and senior civil servants.
“I’ve strengthened this Government’s clear and unwavering commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail by signing an agreement with Mayor Burnham on the next steps for transforming connectivity in Greater Manchester,” explained Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“With a new line between Manchester and Liverpool at the heart of our plans, alongside new stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, we will unlock new opportunities, more jobs and more housing for thousands of people.
“By providing early clarity on scope and phasing, we are giving Greater Manchester the certainty it needs to plan ahead and unlock the full economic and social benefits for its people.”
Featured Image – GMCA
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Police appeal after Manchester city centre shooting sees six arrested and one injured
Emily Sergeant
Police are appealing to the public for information after a shooting in Manchester city centre over the weekend.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called to reports of a disturbance on Richmond Street at around 5am this past Saturday morning (24 January 2026), and upon arriving at the address, discovered that an adult male had an injury to his leg which was consistent with a gunshot wound.
The man, who has not been named, was been taken to hospital with injuries, but they have been described as ‘non-life threatening’ and ‘non-life changing’.
Following the incident, a police investigation was launched straight away.
Six men, all aged between 23 and 26-years-old, have all been arrested on suspicion of affray and firearms offences, and remain in police custody for questioning at this time while investigations are ongoing.
Superintendent Stephen Wiggins, from GMP’s City of Manchester Division, said he understands this will be a ‘concerning incident’ for the whole of Greater Manchester.
“Once the call came in, our officers acted quickly, making to the scene to establish what had unfolded at the address on Richmond Street, detaining six individuals who we believe had been involved, and we managed to recover a firearm at the address.
“I would like to reassure the community that we believe this is a targeted incident, and there is no wider threat to the general public.”
GMP is now appealing to the public for witnesses, or anyone with information, CCTV, or dashcam footage that could assist the investigation, and is urging them to contact police on 0161 856 4259 or 101, quoting log 600 of 24/01/2026.
You can also report information via LiveChat on the GMP website, or through Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
17th March 2023 
