All-party call for definitive stamps rejected by UK Royal Mail

The Royal Mail has rejected an all-party call for Scottish stamps already issued to be made available in easy-to-buy books in retail shops.

A spokesman said the cost of issuing 1st and 2nd class Scottish stamps in book form would be “prohibitive” at a time Royal Mail faces competition with door-to-door deliveries in the new year.

The proposal was spelled out in a motion put down by Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesman John Thurso, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, with the support of Aberdeen North Labour MP Frank Doran, SNP chief whip Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, and sole Scottish Tory David Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale.

It congratulated the Royal Mail on issuing country definitive stamps but noted “with concern” that in Scotland they are not available for sale in retail outlets, even in tourist centres, and that there is little public awareness of their availability.

Lord Thurso said he acted after receiving correspondence from the St Andrew Society pressing the case for the stamps and complaining that they are not more widely available.

He said: “These attractive stamps should be allowed to fulfil their role as ambassadors for Scotland and they should be produced in a way that enables them to be easily acquired over the counter in ordinary shops.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said that Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier remained concerned about the cost and practicality of the proposal because the stamps would have to be produced in booklet form with Welsh, Northern Irish and English versions as well.

He said earlier there would also be practical difficulties distributing them, particularly for major retailers.

The Scottish set of “definitive stamps” was produced to mark the opening of the Scottish Parliament.

The themes for the stamps are the Lion Rampant (first class), the Saltire (second class), the Thistle (European rate) and the Old Stewart Tartan (worldwide rate).