POSTAL bosses have been compared to ‘the Grinch’ by an MP after a string of complaints about late letters leave her concerned delays will ‘ruin Christmas’.
With Christmas just around the corner, West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin MP has called for urgent action after receiving ‘countless complaints’ about Royal Mail over the last 18 months.
The grumpy and cynical green hermit with a heart ‘two sizes too small’, created by celebrated author Dr Seuss, first appeared in 1957 in the children’s book ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’
However, Royal Mail has responded, assuring customers ‘Christmas is not at risk’.
COMPLAINTS: Dame Harriet Baldwin, the West Worcestershire MP, has received a number of complaints about late post (Image: Dame Harriett Baldwin MP)
Dame Harriett’s concerns echo those expressed by Worcester’s MP Tom Collins and Cllr Sarah Murray, a city Liberal Democrat councillor, about delays to post in Worcester, including the late arrival of important letters about urgent hospital appointments and important financial documents.
Now it is feared Christmas cards and other gifts may also arrive late, spoiling people’s enjoyment of the festive period.
Dame Harriett raised each case with Royal Mail and during a debate in Parliament on Monday where she expressed doubts over the company’s excuses for its underperformance.
Postal services have been in disarray in Malvern, Pershore, Upton-upon-Severn, Tenbury Wells and many villages since 2025, said Dame Harriett.
Tired of late and missed letters, people have even taken to collecting their post themselves from delivery offices, a pattern which has also been repeated in Worcester.
WORK: Cllr Sarah Murray has led calls for improvements over late post in Worcester with MP Tom Collins, making several visits to the delivery office to check on progress (Image: Sarah Murray)
Dame Harriett said: “We all value our local posties but Christmas is the busiest time of the year for the postal service and I question the company’s commitment to delivering on its obligations.
“Royal Mail has been going for centuries but it has seriously declined under its current owners and received repeat fines for missed delivery targets.
“Royal Mail’s explanations citing staff sickness do not add up when this has been going on for eighteen months now and hearing from the many MPs who have spoken on this issue, it is clearly a nationwide problem.
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“If something doesn’t change quickly, Royal Mail managers risk looking like Christmas Grinches.
“This is a top priority for the many constituents who have contacted me and I plan to meet the Chief Executive of Royal Mail next week to share my concerns face-to-face.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Christmas is not at risk. For the last two years, more than 99% of items posted by the last recommended posting dates arrived in time for Christmas, and we’re determined to do the same again this year.
“We know how important this time of year is to our customers, and preparations are well underway to manage the extra demand and deliver a reliable service across the UK.
“We recognise that some customers have experienced delays. At times, individual delivery routes can be affected by temporary local issues, and where this happens our teams work to restore normal service as quickly as possible.”
