A constituent rang me today to complain she had apparently found it hard to buy a book of second class stamps this week. She had been told that there would not be any more books of second class stamps available at the Campfield Square and Gray Street Post Offices until next week when the price will of course be appreciably higher.
She was full of praise for the helpful Post Office staff in the Ferry; but they can't sell what Royal Mail will not supply.
This seems as though Royal Mail is deliberately holding back supplies of stamps at existing prices before they zoom up next week.
In ordinary circumstances, I am sure they would be quick to replenish vanishing stocks in Post Offices and other retailers that sell stamps.
This steep level of increase is hardly likely to nudge us into sending more items through the letter post. I am therefore worried that the scale of the increases will hinder rather than help efforts to make our Royal Mail profitable. Unfortunately it seems that these increases will merely hit the pockets again of hard pressed families and local businesses.
