Unearthed memo reveals Post Office boss was instructed do not ‘rip off the band help’

The former chairman of the Post Office was instructed by a senior civil servant to “hobble” into the election and never “rip off the band aid”, an unearthed memo has proven.

Henry Staunton is locked in a bitter disagreement with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch after he claimed that he’d been instructed to stall on compensation for postmasters together with Alan Bates. Ms Badenoch accused him of not telling the reality, and No10 challenged him to provide proof to help his declare.

Mr Staunton has now launched notes he made from a gathering he had with the Business Department’s high civil servant in January final 12 months. The memo claims Sarah Munby warned him that “politicians do not necessarily like to confront reality” and that “now was not the time for dealing with long-term issues”.

He emailed the word to himself and Post Office Chief Executive Nick Read on the time. Mr Staunton wrote that Ms Munby instructed him she “understood the ‘huge commercial challenge’ and the ‘seriousness’ of the financial position”. He added: “She described ‘all the options as unattractive’. However, ‘politicians do not necessarily like to confront reality’.”

The word, shared with The Times, continued: “She said we needed to know that in the run-up to the election there was no appetite to ‘rip off the band aid’. ‘Now was not the time for dealing with long-term issues.’ We needed a plan to ‘hobble’ up to the election.”

The memo doesn’t particularly point out compensation funds to postmasters caught up within the Horizon IT scandal. But Mr Staunton stated that compensation to postmasters and changing the Horizon system have been the 2 largest areas the place financial savings might be made. The newest improvement comes after Ms Badenoch instructed MPs there was “no evidence whatsoever” of his story and stated it was “a blatant attempt to seek revenge” for shedding his job.

Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman stated on Tuesday: “If he has evidence that he wishes to provide such a note that he refers to exists, we would encourage the Post Office to share it so that it can be looked into.”

A Government supply instructed The Times: “The long-standing points round Post Offices funds are a matter of public document and don’t embrace postmaster compensation, which is being absolutely funded by the federal government. Henry Staunton is both confused or intentionally mixing up the 2 points.

“Even if we trust the veracity of a memo he wrote himself, and there’s not much to suggest we can, given the false accusations he made about the secretary of state in his original interview, it’s time for Henry Staunton to admit his interview on Sunday was a misrepresentation of his conversations with ministers and officials and to apologise to the government and the postmasters.”

It comes as Canada suggested Ms Badenoch had misled MPs over trade negotiations between the two countries. The Business Secretary told Parliament last month that talks were “ongoing” on how to avoid tariffs on British car exports to Canada that are due to be introduced in April.

But the Canadian High Commissioner to the UK Ralph Goodale has written to the Commons Business Committee to say they are not taking place.