Harlow MP Robert Halfon calls for Royal Mail to lose its royal warrant
News / Thu 16th Nov 2023 at 08:33am
ROBERT Halfon MP has written to the Government and to Ofcom to demand a better service from Royal Mail for Harlow people. Royal Mail, which was fined £5.6 million earlier this week for failures to deliver across the country, has let down local people for months, with parcels and letters delivered late, if at all.
Mr Halfon has repeatedly raised the concerns of local people with Royal Mail directly, escalating this issue to the Chief Executive and, more recently, the Chair of the Board. Despite this, Royal Mail have not been able to provide sufficient assurances that the service in Harlow will improve significantly in the near future.
Therefore, Mr Halfon has stepped up his calls for a better service, demanding urgent action to clear the backlog and reinstate regular deliveries across the town by writing to the Government Minister for Small Enterprise and also to Lord Grade, Chair of Ofcom.
Commenting on the ongoing situation with Royal Mail, Robert said, “Despite the hardworking postmen and women in Harlow, the service local people are currently receiving from Royal Mail is far below the standard I, and my constituents, expect. The hard working postmen and women do not deserve to be blamed for what is apparent to me a failure in leadership and management across the company.
“I have now raised this issue with Royal Mail repeatedly, initially with the Public Affairs department and more recently with the Chief Executive and subsequently the Chair of the Board. I have not received a response from either the Chief Executive or the Chair of the Board and, despite assurance from Public Affairs, there has been no improvement in the service for Harlow people.
“It is wrong that letters and parcels which have been sent are not being delivered on time, if at all, despite the correct postage being paid. Royal Mail has a universal service obligation and a royal warrant and, as such, they must provide a high standard of service. I have written to the Minister and to Lord Grade (the Chair of Ofcom) to urge them to do everything within their power to hold Royal Mail to account and to seek to remove the royal warrant they currently hold.”
Mark
2023-11-16 10:17:42
Robert Halfon voted to privatise the Royal Mail. He knew that meant they would prioritise profitable parcel delivery over unprofitable letter delivery. Now he moans about poor letter delivery. How pathetic.
MikeO
2023-11-16 11:36:05
That's what happens when you privatise a public company. The Royal mail was privatised by Halfons Government and he voted for it. But I don't suppose he will admit that privatisation was a mistake. Does privatising public companies ever work?? I think not.
PG
2023-11-16 11:56:27
I have family who work at the Royal Mail office in Harlow. Robert Halfon has no idea what a real job looks like. He gets to happily wander about the building smiling and shaking hands on a yearly basis but should actually know that the service is struggling due to demand. Paired with a government thar HE himself agreed to enable privatisation, funding has been a draught to say the least. I propose Robert Halfon go and do a weeks work at Royal Mail. No publicity stunt, no holds barred and see and experience just what the men and women working there actually go through on a day to day basis. The workload forever increasing due to more and more online shopping paired with less and less desire for workers to join and remain as wages are subpar. Good work Robert. I shook your hand 20 years ago, you don't remember me of that I am sure. But I will say this. I called you a coward then, and I will call you one now. Running away to cry out about a service YOU yourself killed. You should be ashamed if yourself, and if you're not - I am on your behalf.
David
2023-11-16 13:06:24
A year from now, he'll have all day, every day to write letters like that.
Pete
2023-11-16 13:37:02
Not so many years ago this article would have been published and printed on paper and the comments posted to the newspaper office. It must be incredibly difficult to run a business with declining numbers of customers. How many of us send letters regularly, how many will be posting Christmas cards? Royal Mail post is a victim of the modern world just as the high street has been decimated by online shopping. Do they deserve to lose their royal warrant due to poor performance, perhaps the same assessment can be applied to the King's government.
AB
2023-11-16 13:48:39
Privatisation has failed, it's the elephant in the room Mr Halton and his cronies will not admit. The privatised Post Office is also in a mess, look at the crimes against post masters and mistresses.
Luke Burton
2023-11-16 16:45:28
Last time I checked you are part of the same party that privatised RM, no?
Charlie
2023-11-16 18:19:14
Whatever the reason. Failure to deliver letters on time will result in lost revenue for Royal Mail. They need to get their act together fast. We have decided not to send Christmas cards this year or ever again. I know of many people who are doing the same. Christmas greetings can be sent on Facebook or any other social media site. And the ridiculous cost of stamps is disgusting. May as well save the money and put it to a better use. Last Christmas we ended up getting cards delivered in the middle of January and know for a fact that they were sent weeks before Christmas.
Paul
2023-11-16 19:17:30
The Conservative government in 2012 are responsible for selling off Royal Mail, don't forget that it is the Conservative government who have sold off all of the utility companies, the railway, British Aerospace and just about anything else so long as their Donner's can make more money. How many Conservative MP's and their families have profiled directly from these policies?
Steve
2023-11-17 00:08:28
I get one postal delivery every 2 weeks, used to be every other day got a pcn fine today dated 2nd November so thanks big bosses at Royal mail I can't even pay the reduced rate, I don't blame the hard working staff it's the big bosses that think postal delivery is a waste of time, I won't be using royal mail to send anything in the future, worst run company in the UK and I thought virginmedia were bad.
Reg
2023-11-17 07:56:38
Who delivered your letter Robert?
peter
2023-11-17 18:29:07
Reg, it hasn't been delivered yet, that is why he didn't get a response!!
Steve
2023-11-18 03:31:26
Bring it back into public ovenship ,it's another failed sell off .
Jasper
2023-11-19 18:06:38
We need all our utilities and services under national ownership. They are a vital part of life not something to make a profit on. If public was more affordable then the roads wouldn't need to be expanded as is needed. There wouldn't be a need for all these ultra clean emission zones etc. Make things british and affordable
Peter Carter
2023-11-19 18:58:37
Have to say that despite all, the service I get in Katherines is really very good indeed, and I thank our posties very much for that.
15 Comments for Harlow MP Robert Halfon calls for Royal Mail to lose its royal warrant: