Dan Aldridge

Absolutely, I agree. The splintering of public services in this way is something we really need to take account of in this House. It is a sad statement that can be applied to the state of too much of our public common wealth that has been carved up and sold off to private interests. As my hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth (Sarah Edwards) mentioned earlier, I want to remind the House and the Government of the recommendations made by our Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, specifically that the Government and Ofcom must act decisively if Royal Mail fails to make meaningful improvements within the six-month deadline we set. The current evidence gives serious cause for concern. I worry that carefully crafted and presented statistics, as well as polished corporate jargon, make it easy to present a story to decision makers that bears little relation to the lived experience of workers and customers. I am frustrated that our regulatory system has not evolved to deal with the level of corporate gaslighting that seems to run roughshod over worker and customer interests. This is about what we value as a society, what we trust and the basic functioning of the state. With Christmas just around the corner, families and businesses need reassurance that their post will arrive when it matters. Longer term, Royal Mail must stop making excuses, do right by their workers, and deliver the service that our constituents—its customers—deserve.