Justine McGuinness, would-be Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, today slammed the postal service as “a total disgrace” following the announcement that the Royal Mail has failed to hit any of its 15 performance targets.

Justine McGuinness commented: “The information that has come to light today means that nearly two million first class letters were not delivered on time between April and June. Yet for the last three years customers have been paying higher prices for a declining service. The Post Office’s management need to pull their socks up. These figures are a total disgrace.”

She added: “When my constituents post a first class letter in West Dorset, they should be confident that it will arrive the next day whether it is going to Glasgow or Muckleford. In a rural area such as ours a reliable postal service is vital. Our local businesses in particular depend on the postal services working properly.”

For the three months to June just 88.3% of first class letters were delivered the next day, against a target of 92.5%.

The Post Office claims it has seen a major improvement in August when it rose to 92% from May when just 87.2% of first class post was delivered on time.

However Ms McGuinness says: “Even the August figures mean that one out of ten first class letters posted will not get to their destination the next day. That is not good enough. People pay for a service and expect it to work. This target is the absolute minimum of what the Post Office should be doing.”

For the first time West Dorset Liberal Democrats will have a stand at the Dorchester Show this weekend. Parliamentary spokesperson Justine McGuinness explained why: “Dorchester Town Council is run by the Liberal Democrats. I felt that it was important that we had a presence at the Dorchester Show. So for the first time we have taken a show stand. It is a chance for people to come along and have a chat with their Councillors.”Throughout both Saturday and Sunday I will be on the stand with our team of Liberal Democrat County, District and Town Councillors.”

Children are more than welcome on the Liberal Democrat stand which is D14.

Justine McGuinness continued: “We will be selling raffle tickets. The fabulous prizes include a week at a holiday cottage in France, a Dorset ‘home-grown’ lamb and organical-breed rare breed pork, plus a watercolour by Bridport artist Keith Cast and many other super prizes.”

Justine McGuinness added: “I am looking forward to meeting as many people as possible and hope everyone at the Dorchester Show enjoys it!”