Royal Mail faced criticism after sharing an image of Number 10 Downing Street with the caption “moving home?” shortly after Keir Starmer announced his resignation. The emotional Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife and senior cabinet members, made the decision to step down following intense speculation about his future, heightened by Andy Burnham’s recent by-election victory in Makerfield.
Within hours of Starmer’s announcement, Royal Mail posted on their official account suggesting mail redirection for those moving homes, featuring a picture of Number 10. However, the attempt at humor backfired, with many questioning the appropriateness of the post in light of Royal Mail’s delivery performance falling below targets. Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson called the post “appallingly insensitive.”
Critics, including Lib Dem councillor Alex Jeffery, highlighted Royal Mail’s service issues, urging the company to focus on improving its own operations before making political jokes. Users on social media also condemned the post, with one describing it as a “disgraceful tweet from a public service.”
Royal Mail, which transitioned to foreign ownership in 2025 after privatization, remains a key Universal Service Provider in the UK. Despite its exclusive rights to issue postage stamps and postal delivery exemptions, the company has faced scrutiny for failing to meet delivery targets, prompting an investigation by Ofcom earlier this month.
The latest quality of service report revealed that Royal Mail missed delivery targets for another year, with only 75.7% of first-class mail arriving the next working day. In response to the criticism and performance concerns, the Mirror has reached out to Royal Mail for comment.