A functioning postal service would be a Christmas miracle

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

I have endeavoured to send all my cards at the start of December, long before the reluctance by Royal Mail to actually provide a delivery service became news (PA Wire)

For the last three years – before the reluctance of Royal Mail to provide a postal delivery service became news – I have endeavoured to send all my Christmas cards at the start of December (“I resent writing Christmas cards… but I’d resent not receiving them even more”, Sunday 8 December).

Three years ago, my overseas mail arrived after Christmas, sometime in the New Year, as did some of my UK cards.

Two years ago, it was a similar story, with my postman telling me that the mail due to be delivered on Christmas Eve was still in bags in the sorting office when he returned from his break.

Now, this year, to wind up Christmas card senders even more, the last dates for posting have been moved to even earlier dates than normal.

According to Royal Mail, a card to Belgium was required to be sent by 28 November, 27 days before Christmas! Who was delivering it – Rudolph?

It seems as if our Royal Mail don’t want to handle our mail any more. It looks like we have another privatised company that needs renationalising.

My overseas Christmas cards will be e-cards this year – and I think I’ll post next year’s in the summer.

Ken Twiss

Yarm, Cleveland

Who are you kidding, prime minister? 

It is encouraging to hear our chancellor speak so warmly about our European neighbours, and about resetting the UK’s relationship with the EU to our mutual benefit, in an adult and responsible way (“Rachel Reeves banks on fixing Brexit to achieve pledged economic growth”, Monday 9 December).

It is also a shame to see our prime minister say no to a young people’s agreement on travel and work. It seems to be for no other reason than a fear of headlines accusing him of a return to freedom of movement.

Maybe he should try acting in a more mature fashion.

D Leddy

Chertsey, Surrey

Land of confusion

When I drive around Glasgow, the city of my birth, I see empty buildings (“Why Labour’s infrastructure plans may be building trouble”, Friday 6 December). Across Scotland’s central belt, I see acre upon acre of derelict land.

I dare say it is the same story in Newcastle and across the North East.

Rather than trying to build ever more houses in the South East and on green belts around our major cities, perhaps we should instead concentrate on investing in areas where there is ample room for new housing?

Geoff Forward

Stirling

Trump’s idle boast over Ukraine 

Like Donald Trump, I agree that a ceasefire is the best course of action in Ukraine (“Trump calls for Putin to reach ‘immediate ceasefire’ deal with Ukraine as Syrian government falls”, Sunday 8 December).

The loss of life on both sides now is soaring. But Trump’s promise of an almost immediate resolving of the conflict is completely idealistic.

A ceasefire must address Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian land, so as not to legitimise its aggression. For a true resolution to this war, it is not merely about expediency but rather a diplomatic solution that may require more time than Trump boasts about.

Teddy Curtis

Newcastle upon Tyne

Stone me…

Like Colin Burke – who misread your recent headline, “Reform UK in poll surge as Labour loses support despite Starmer reset” – I misread the headline on his subsequent letter (“From milestones to tombstones”, Sunday 8 December).

Instead of “milestones”, I saw “millstones” – which put me in mind of the ill-fated “Ed Stone”. Neither of which bodes well for the future of this Labour government.

Matt Cartwright

Address supplied