The readers’ dinner held at Spectator headquarters last week was, as might be expected, a sparkling, bibulous affair.
The readers’ dinner held at Spectator headquarters last week was, as might be expected, a sparkling, bibulous affair. The only cloud was the realisation that, unfortunately, many subscribers had not received the latest issue of the magazine, thanks to the inefficiency of the Royal Mail and the disruption caused by recent industrial activity. Alas, this sorry situation seems likely to continue for some time to come, as the postal workers’ union seems hell-bent on trying the public’s patience still further.
Like many other Royal Mail customers, The Spectator is looking for a new supplier that can offer a more reliable service to our readers; like many others we are unlikely to return to the Royal Mail. Declining revenues — and reputation — can only compound the post office’s financial problems. But, like the miners in the 1980s, the Royal Mail seems determined to hasten its own demise. The postal workers may or may not be lions, but they are certainly led by donkeys.
All Labour governments end like this. Industrial action is the fat lady who sings when it’s all over, and it’s the same old tunes sung in the same old style. The Spectator can do little to resolve the strike, but we can at least offer subscribers free access to the online edition each week. We also offer subscriptions to the Exact Editions website, where readers may download pages exactly as they appear in the print edition of the magazine. Email us at nopostman@spectator.co.uk with your subscriber number, and we will send you the details. But there is no substitute for the magazine, and normal service will, we trust, be resumed soon.
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