McArthur to meet with Royal Mail representatives in Orkney to discuss ongoing issues

Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur will meet with Royal Mail representatives, Michael Hogg, Senior Public Affairs Manager and John Sloane, Scottish Operations Director, on Friday, 16 May in Orkney. 

This follows a meeting in the Scottish Parliament earlier this year, when Mr McArthur urged senior Royal Mail executives to visit Orkney to get a better understanding of the disruption to deliveries and the action needed to address it. 

Since that earlier meeting, constituents and local businesses have continued to face disruption with postal deliveries, on and off, despite assurances from Royal Mail spokespeople. 

Commenting ahead of the visit, Mr McArthur said: 

“It is concerning that since I met with Royal Mail last, issues regarding the resilience of Orkney’s postal service have not been fully resolved. Constituents still face delays to deliveries and the service continues to face challenges around staff recruitment and retention. 

“I’m pleased that Mr Hogg and Mr Sloane have taken up my earlier invitation to visit Orkney and look forward to meeting with them both later this week to discuss what action is needed to support the service locally. 

“The visit will also provide a much-needed opportunity for senior representatives to engage directly with customers about their experiences, and how necessary improvements will be delivered.

“People and businesses in Orkney have a right to expect the same level of service as those living elsewhere in the country, and it is vital that Royal Mail take this opportunity to make sure that is the case."