Royal Mail confirmed that no deliveries or collections will take place on May 4 due to the Early May Bank Holiday, affecting all UK postcodes.
This suspension raises concerns about potential delivery delays, particularly for postal vote packs. Cardiff Council has issued almost 47,000 postal vote packs for the upcoming Senedd election, with over 26,500 already returned.
Royal Mail has faced criticism in recent months for delayed deliveries. In October 2025, they received a £21 million fine from Ofcom for service issues.
As part of their recovery plan, Royal Mail aims to achieve 90% First Class delivery within a year through a £500 million investment programme. The owner, Daniel Kretinsky, acknowledged these service issues during a parliamentary inquiry.
In addition to operational changes, Royal Mail is introducing 600 new parcel postboxes across the UK. However, there are reports of vandalism; Lasair Dhearg redecorated the first King Charles postbox in Ireland with anti-imperialist stickers.
Royal Mail’s delivery operations will return to normal on May 5 after the holiday. Yet, officials have not confirmed how this suspension will affect voters relying on timely postal services.