Major plans to axe Saturday post slapped down by No 10 after fury at Royal Mail shake-up

ROYAL Mail will not be allowed to scrap Saturday post deliveries, Downing Street has vowed.

Number 10 said the Government "would not countenance" ending the six-days a week service after speculation swirled over the weekend about possible cuts.

Postal regulator Ofcom is set to publish documents this week, outlining how the courier may need updating and "evolve to more closely meet consumer needs".

The regulator has not commented on what the options will be but Sky News reported they will include the abolition of the current current six-day universal service obligation.

Royal Mail itself has called for Saturday letter deliveries to be ditched, arguing they are "simply not sustainable";.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The PM's strong view is that Saturday deliveries provide flexibility and convenience.

"They are important for businesses and particularly publishers. The Prime Minister would not countenance seeing Saturday deliveries scrapped."

Postal Service Minister Kevin Hollinrake also told The Sun: "Six-day week deliveries are very important to our constituents and to many businesses, particularly in the magazine and greeting cards industries. 

"It’s right that we look after their interests."

It comes amid warnings from Royal Mail's chief executive the 500-year-old firm may need a Government subsidy to remain afloat.

Royal Mail was privatised by the coalition government in 2013.

Over recent years it has been rocked by a wave of industrial disputes and its performance has increasingly come under scrutiny.

In November, it was fined £5.6m by Ofcom for failing to meet first- and second-class delivery targets during the 2022-23 financial year.

It also revealed losses of £319 million in the six months to the end of September.

While the potential scrapping of Saturday post is not the only option considered, Martin Seidenberg, the boss of Royal Mail's owner International Distributions Services, warned MPs in a letter last week: "Delivering the current Universal Service requirements - in a financially sustainable way - is increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to achieve as the mix and number of parcels and letters changes.

"The bar set by the regulations is unrealistic given the market realities."

He said there were several ways to address the challenges facing Royal Mail, including "significantly increasing prices, seeking a government subsidy, and/or reforming the Universal Service so that it is more reflective of the customer needs and market realities of today, not the needs of the past".

The Ofcom document due on Wednesday will not contain conclusions or formal recommendations and any changes to Royal Mail’s universal service obligation  (USO) recommended by the regulator would require a vote from MPs.