Emily Thornberry helped postal workers sort parcels at a Holloway sorting office last week – and she told the Gazette she wants a good Brexit deal and nationalised Royal Mail for Christmas.

The Islington South MP and shadow foreign secretary visited the Holloway Delivery Office, in North Road, on Wednesday to thank postal workers for all their hard work – “not just at Christmas but all year around”.

The Christmas, and regular, post is sorted at the vast centre on the Hanover Trading Estate before being bagged up and delivered to homes across the borough.

“We got up very early,” she told the Gazette. “Well, for me it seemed very early, but of course for the posties it was an ordinary day.

“By the time we had got there at about half seven they had done a great deal of it already.

“There were huge parcels to be delivered. The largest parcel last year was actually a car bonnet – somebody actually sent one in the post – but fortunately there weren’t any this year.”

Ms Thornberry explained she was visiting the sorting office, which caters to postcodes in her patch including N5 and N7, to thank staff on behalf of her Islington South constituents.

She added: “The other thing I think is really interesting is they have a book in which to put special things to remember for each round.

“So where there might be a sticky gate or a particularly nasty dog – each round has a log book with details in case the usual person who does the post round is off.”

Asked what she wanted for Christmas, the shadow foreign secretary, who was suffering from a cold when we spoke to her on Christmas Eve, said: “I think what I would like for Christmas is, I’d like to have a bit of rest, but also to feel that we can be positive about what the future of England is.

“I feel really worried about what could happen to our country if we have a bad [Brexit] deal and I’m really aware of our responsibility to constituents and people across the country.”

She added: “To bring the postal service back into public ownership would also be great.”