Critical MPs urge Burnham to renationalise Royal Mail

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Labour politicians, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, are urging the government to consider renationalising Royal Mail due to its declining performance and ongoing operational challenges. This push comes as the postal service misses key delivery targets despite rising postage costs and faces a wave of staff resignations, raising concerns about its current commercial model.

Labour politicians have called on Andy Burnham, the party’s mayor of Greater Manchester, to consider renationalising Royal Mail amid ongoing concerns over the postal service’s declining performance. The calls come more than a decade after the company was privatised, with critics arguing that the current commercial model is ill-suited to the service’s public utility role.

Darren Jones, a Labour MP and former chief secretary to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, spoke in the House of Commons urging the government to bring Royal Mail back under public ownership. He described privatisation and the separation of Royal Mail from the Post Office as a mistake and argued that the business’s focus on profit undermines its ability to deliver reliable service. “The business model is not fit for purpose,” Jones said. “If ministers agree with me that privatisation of the Royal Mail was a failure, then the only other real option is to renationalise it.”

The discussion follows recent statements from Burnham, who last week characterised Royal Mail’s service standards as “unacceptable for far too long.” First-quarter data revealed that Royal Mail fell short of key performance targets set by the communications regulator Ofcom. Only 85 percent of first-class letters were delivered the next day, below the 90 percent target, while 91.4 percent of second-class mail arrived within three days, missing the 95 percent benchmark.

These figures come despite a significant increase in postage costs, with the price of a stamp rising by 137 percent to £1.80 over the past six years. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has issued stark warnings that Royal Mail is “on the brink of collapse,” citing a steady wave of staff resignations as hundreds of postal workers leave each week.

Royal Mail has defended its performance record, highlighting improvements in first-class letter delivery, which rose from 76 percent in the previous year to the current level. Nonetheless, the ongoing shortfalls and workforce challenges continue to fuel the debate over the future structure and ownership of the postal service.

The Labour Party faces mounting pressure to address these issues, with some MPs advocating for a return to public ownership as a means to stabilise and improve the service. Whether the government will act on these calls remains to be seen, as Royal Mail navigates operational challenges amid evolving demands in the postal sector.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.