10,000 signal our petition demanding Post Office hero Alan Bates will get an honour

More than 10,000 folks have signed our petition demanding that Alan Bates is given an honour for exposing the Post Office scandal.

We imagine the previous postmaster, who led the decades-long combat for justice, ought to be recognised with both a knighthood or CBE.

Mr Bates had beforehand turned down an OBE as he believed it might be a “slap in the face” to the victims to simply accept an honour whereas ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells nonetheless held her CBE. After she handed again her gong, campaigners have mentioned he ought to be recognised with the identical honour himself – if not a knighthood.

Usually honours are introduced to mark the New Year and the Monarch’s birthday, however in particular circumstances they may also be awarded at different occasions.

Sign our petition HERE to present Post Office hero Alan Bates an honour

Carol Vorderman, the presenter of the Pride of Britain Awards that recognised Mr Bates final yr, mentioned: “When I think of heroes I think of brave people who fight a Goliath for the good of all, and not themselves. Who are tenacious, who never give in. Alan Bates is all of those things. He shouldn’t just get a CBE. He should be in the House of Lords getting his teeth into other matters. In Alan Bates we trust.”

Robin Priestley, campaigns director at 38 Degrees, mentioned: “If anyone deserves to be offered an honour for their work, it’s a man who has fought tirelessly for justice for so many years, who has done so much to bring the Horizon scandal to public attention. The pressure of more than 1.2million people left Paula Vennells with no choice but to give up her CBE. Now, that same people power can ensure that Alan Bates is offered another chance to be honoured.”

Labour has mentioned it might assist an honour for Mr Bates. Keir Starmer’s spokesman mentioned: “I think Alan Bates clearly has emerged as a hero throughout this for the way in which he has led the campaign, the fortitude and resolve he was shown given everything that has been thrown at him throughout this process. Obviously honours have their own independent process, but I’m sure that is something the public would regard as entirely appropriate and we would support.”

Downing Street signalled that he could possibly be in line for an honour. The PM’s Press Secretary mentioned: “There is a formal process for honours, but it is hard to think of someone more deserving.” Esther McVey, who’s the Minister for Common Sense, mentioned Mr Bates ought to obtain a knighthood “as soon as possible”. Asked if Mr Sunak agreed, his Press Secretary mentioned: “That sounds like common sense to me.”

Mr Bates has change into a nationwide treasure after tens of millions watched his lengthy and painful combat for justice portrayed within the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

He has campaigned tirelessly for 20 years to show the reality concerning the Post Office scandal and get justice for subpostmasters whose lives it destroyed. He and his companion Suzanne Sercombe took over a store in Llandudno that included a submit workplace counter in 1998, investing £65,000 within the enterprise.

But his contract was terminated in 2003 after the introduction of the Post Office’s new Horizon pc system led to unexplained losses appeared in his accounts. He led a gaggle of greater than 500 postmasters in taking the Post Office to the High Court.

Sign our petition HERE to present Post Office hero Alan Bates an honour