Rural areas like South Shropshire deserve access to a good postal service which keeps families, friends and businesses connected

The world is changing and taking postal services with it. A decade ago, Royal Mail were delivering about 20 billion letters a year. This has fallen to 6.7 billion and is expected to fall even further. Pressure is also on businesses to withdraw their presence on the high street in favour of cost-effective digital services.

Over 2.3 million people in our nation do not have access to the internet. In South Shropshire, even those who want to connect to the internet cannot do so easily. Only 40% of people have 5G mobile service and 43% do not have high-speed broadband. It is rural areas that will feel left behind by this changing landscape.

Letters through the door and a visit to the local Post Office remain a crucial lifeline for rural communities. The Post Office is a fixture in our communities, providing one of the only means of access to banking services. Letters are relied upon to update us on hospital appointments and much other important correspondence.

Since my election as the Member of Parliament in South Shropshire, the plight of rural Post Offices has never been far from my attention. I have successfully opposed the planned closure of local Post Office services; worked alongside local campaigns to restore facilities; and met with residents concerned about the impact of proposed changes to the service.

I secured a debate in Westminster Hall to speak on postal services in rural areas so that the rural voice is not lost in ministerial decision-making. Political decisions and falling standards are turning a changing landscape into a situation that is leaving rural areas completely isolated.

The last Labour Government saw over 7,000 post offices close – the equivalent of more than one every single day. While the Conservatives introduced the minimum branch requirement, keeping the total number of services at 11,500, the current Government are looking to remove this and leave the decisions up to the Post Office.

Proposed changes could also remove the requirement for 95% of people in rural areas to live within three miles of a Post Office. This may include phasing out part-time outreach or mobile services, which make up 14% of the total network and typically serve rural areas.

Many shops that house and subsidise postal services are facing extortionate increases to their business rates. One shop in my constituency faces an increase in rates of 33% by early 2027, costs which threaten the ongoing viability of Post Office provision.

In addition to this, the standard of deliveries in rural areas has descended into a diabolical state. The changes to the Universal Service Obligation announced by Ofcom in July last year will see reduced deliveries for letters, but even that lower standard is rarely met in parts of my constituency.

Some constituents have hardly received a letter since Christmas. It has become a weekly routine for my office to send complaints to the Royal Mail. In particular, the postcodes around Bridgnorth and Highley face astounding delays to their mail. Constituents must go into the sorting office themselves to pick up bundles of undelivered letters. They are lucky to receive a letter delivery once a week.

This has a real-life impact. One elderly constituent has not received her new banking card PIN to be able to withdraw cash. Countless others have missed hospital appointments. Businesses are having their reputation suffer because of poor delivery times.

On 28th January 2026, Citizens Advice revealed that 16 million people – representing 29% of UK adults – had experienced postal delays over Christmas. This figure has doubled in a year and is the highest in five years.

All this goes to impound the sense in rural areas that they are being left behind. We must reverse the trend of services declining and withdrawing from these areas, or we risk leaving these communities totally isolated.

Through this debate in Westminster Hall and ongoing engagement with Ministers, the Post Office and Royal Mail, I hope to give rural areas a voice. Amidst a changing landscape, residents in rural areas like South Shropshire deserve access to a good postal service which keeps families and friends connected, businesses alive, and people informed.