‘Chaotic’ Post Office should be stripped of Horizon compensation function say MPs
The Post Office should be faraway from the Horizon IT scandal compensation course of, MPs have warned in a scathing report into “abject failure” to safe justice.
The cross-party Business and Trade Committee demanded the transfer days after former postmaster Alan Bates pleaded with ministers to get on with it. The report mentioned the Post Office is “not fit for purpose to administer any of the schemes required to make amends”.
It says victims haven’t any confidence within the agency that “ruined the lives of innocent sub-postmasters” and hit out at its chaotic management.
Hundreds of postmasters are nonetheless ready for compensation regardless of the guarantees of ministers, and attorneys warned some may nonetheless face waits of as much as two years. MPs heard the ultimate invoice for taxpayers more likely to prime £1billion – with no deal but in place over how a lot software program agency Fujitsu can pay.
Labour MP Liam Byrne, who chairs the committee, mentioned victims have been ready “far too long” for justice. He mentioned: “It’s high time for the circus of recent weeks to end and for cheques to start landing on the doormats of innocent victims.”
He added it is a “nationwide shame” that victims are nonetheless ready for compensation. Mr Byrne acknowledged: “The spectacle of the battle between the Post Office chief executive and its former chairman light up a simple truth; that the top of the Post Office is in utter disarray and not fit for purpose to run the payouts to former sub-postmasters.
“It’s involvement in running Post Office redress schemes has to end and ministers must create a new, independent body set up that will genuinely help victims through their every stage of their compensation claims.”
It comes after Post Office hero Mr Bates final month pleaded with the committee to “get on and pay” victims of the Horizon scandal. Mr Bates, who has been main the marketing campaign for justice for 20 years, advised MPs: “There’s a lot of distractions, a lot of other things brought up, thrown up all the time – but just get on and pay people.”
He revealed that he had thought of getting all the previous subpostmasters concerned within the preliminary High Court case to “stand as MPs when the next election comes”, including: “Then we’ll sort it out once and for all.”
Questioned on whether or not he believed the Government had acquired a grip of the method, Mr Bates mentioned: “No, I’m afraid not – it’s very disappointing. This has been going on for years, as you well know, and I can’t see any end to it.”
The Post Office mentioned 1,000 extra claims have been obtained since ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was screened in January. Mr Bates, who was performed by Toby Jones within the collection, advised the cross-party Commons Business Committee that the Post Office needs to be offered.
He mentioned: “My personal view about Post Office is it’s a dead duck and it has been for years, and it’s going to be a money pit for the taxpayer in the years to come. You should sell it to someone like Amazon for £1, get really good contracts for all the serving subpostmasters and within a few years you’ll have one of the best networks around Britain.”
Meanwhile on the similar listening to in February, former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton, who has been locked in a bitter confrontation with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, doubled down on his declare he was advised to decelerate funds.
Ms Badenoch has accused him of mendacity, however he advised the committee he’d been made a “scapegoat”. Mr Staunton, who was addressing the committee below oath, mentioned he denied making “politically incorrect” remarks.
He mentioned allegations had come to gentle throughout a probe into chief govt Nick Read. Mr Staunton additionally claimed that Mr Read had advised him he deliberate to resign as a result of he wasn’t being paid sufficient – however former Business Secretary Grant Shapps refused to provide him a elevate.
In March final yr it emerged Mr Read’s wage was £415,000, and he was given a £455,000 bonus the next yr, a few of which he later returned.
The Horizon IT system ruined the lives of a whole bunch of Post Office staff when it mistakenly made it appear like cash was lacking from their branches. Postmasters have been wrongly blamed for the shortfalls and made to cowl the losses, with greater than 900 convicted together with some who have been put in jail.
