London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Royal Mail could face Ofcom fine for missing performance targets with too many slow deliveries

Royal Mail could face Ofcom fine for missing performance targets with too many slow deliveries

Royal Mail has failed to meet delivery targets for years and has previously been issued a £1.5m fine.
Royal Mail is again being investigated by the communications regulator over its missed delivery targets.

Ofcom announced the inquiry after Royal Mail said on Monday it did not meet its 2022 to 2023 quality of service targets.

The targets require Royal Mail to deliver 93% of first-class mail within one working day of collection; deliver 98.5% of second-class mail in three working days of collection; and complete 99.9% of delivery routes on each day that a delivery is required.

But the former state-owned monopoly said only 73.7% of first-class mail arrived within one working day; 90.7% of second-class post arrived within three working days; and just 89.35% of delivery routes were completed for each day a delivery was required.

As part of the investigation, Ofcom will examine if there were any reasonable grounds or exceptional events, beyond the company's control, for it to have failed to meet its universal service obligation.

A fine may be imposed if Royal Mail does not provide a satisfactory explanation, the regulator said.

Industrial action will likely be raised by the company as an explanation.

Over the past year, Royal Mail has been hit by strikes - before a settlement was reached last month - as staff members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) staged walkouts, seeking improved pay and to retain working conditions.

In a contentious hearing, with MPs of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee, the Royal Mail boss admitted prioritising parcels over letters, during and following days of industrial action, though he denied that it was company policy to do so.

Simon Thompson had been recalled for questioning by the committee and was accused of giving "inconsistencies" in his evidence.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said on Monday: "We are disappointed with our quality of service performance and restoring our service to the high standards our customers expect is our top priority.

"We will participate fully with any Ofcom's investigation."

It's not the first Royal Mail investigation by Ofcom. In 2019 a £1.5m fine was issued for first class post delivery failures.

In December last year, the watchdog said it warned the delivery company it could not continue to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for poor delivery after it did not meet the 2021 to 2022 delivery targets.

Ofcom did not find Royal Mail was in breach of any of its regulatory obligations for that year.

Royal Mail also did not meet 2020 to 2021 targets.

On Friday the Royal Mail chief executive formally announced his departure plan, as first reported by Sky News.

The company said it was in "advanced stages" of appointing a new chief executive and Mr Thompson will remain with the business until 31 October as part of the transition.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
×