WHAT IS THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL?
Hundreds of self-employed workers at the state-owned Post Office were wrongly prosecuted or convicted between 1999 and 2015 for false accounting, theft and fraud, because of a glitches in a software system that incorrectly showed money missing from accounts.
The possibility of a scandal causing societal disruption without a satisfactory resolution. Scandals, especially those involving systemic issues and injustices, can indeed have profound effects on trust in institutions and societal well-being. In the case of the British Post Office scandal related to the Horizon IT system, the wrongful convictions of postmasters and the subsequent acknowledgment of system flaws have had significant implications.
A lack of resolution or accountability in such situations can erode public trust and confidence in institutions. Addressing these issues, holding responsible parties accountable, and implementing reforms are crucial steps in rebuilding trust and preventing similar problems in the future. Societal resilience often relies on transparency, accountability, and a commitment to rectifying injustices.
1 The Institutional Failures Behind the Post Office Scandal | “Innocent People were Accused of Fraud”
11 jan 2024 The Rest Is Politics
How should the fallout of the Post Office scandal be handled? Why do the polls always swing towards the Tories as an election nears? What’s going on in Bangladesh? 10/01/2024
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more on today’s episode of The Rest Is Politics.
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2 Toby Jones: How Do They Sleep At Night? 📮
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British acting royalty Toby Jones stars as Alan Bates in brand new drama ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’ and joins the Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose to chat all about the remarkable true story at the heart of the scandal 📮
3 Isabel Oakeshott Admits “Journalistic Fail” For Not Covering Post Office Scandal Five Years Ago
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11 jan 2024
TalkTV’s international editor has admitted that she “did not” cover the Post Office scandal story when she was first approached about it in 2019.
Speaking on The Talk, Isabel Oakeshott said she was emailed about the story by a key campaigner in the summer of that year.
When pressed why she didn’t cover it, she said: “There was something that failed to resonate with me. It was too bitty, it didn’t coalesce enough.
“That isn’t an excuse, but had it been a punchier, more professional campaign, this would have been resolved long ago.”
Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced a new law to exonerate hundreds of Post Office branch managers caught up in the Horizon IT scandal.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said they were victims of “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history”.
Hundreds of sub-postmasters were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from a flawed IT system.
4 Falsely Accused Former Postmasters: ‘Money Doesn’t Come with an Erase Button.’| Good Morning Britain
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11 jan 2024
Parmod Kalia and Janet Skinner were both wrongly convicted following false accusations of stealing thousands of pounds from their respective post offices. Despite having their convictions quashed in 2021 they are still waiting for compensation.
Former Postmaster Parmod Kalia was sentenced to six months in jail after being falsely accused of stealing £22,000.
Former sub-postmaster Janet Skinner served three months of a nine-month sentence in prison after being falsely accused of stealing almost £60,000 from the Post Office she ran.
Broadcast on 11/01/24
5 Sir Iain Duncan Smith: ‘End Private Prosecutions’ Amid Post Office Scandal
11 jan 2024
In the wake of the Post Office scandal, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith calls for an end to private prosecutions.
During PMQs, Rishi Sunak introduced a new law to exonerate hundreds of Post Office branch managers caught up in the Horizon IT scandal as he said they were victims of “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history”.
Hundreds of sub-postmasters were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from a flawed IT system.
Sir Iain tells Julia Hartley-Brewer: “Prosecutions for anybody… should be done through the Crown Prosecution Service.”
6 “They Were A Trusted Brand, You Didn’t Stand A Chance!” Imprisoned Post Office Scandal Victim
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11 jan 2024
Nick Wallis, one of the leading experts on the Post Office scandal, is joined by Janet Skinner, a victim of the scandal who was imprisoned for false accounting that she didn’t commit, deputy political editor of the Sun Ryan Sabey and legal commentator Joshua Rosenberg to discuss the ordeal.
It comes after Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw is set to give evidence to the Post Office public inquiry as the scandal continues to unravel.
Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses based on the faulty Horizon IT system and an inquiry began in February 2021.
A recent ITV drama has brought the scandal back into the spotlight and on Wednesday the government announced a new law to “swiftly exonerate and compensate victims.”
7 ‘Toxic work culture’ stopping Post Office scandal victims speaking out, says Private Eye journalist
11 jan 2024
Andrew Marr speaks to Private Eye journalist Richard Brooks, who was one of the first journalists to cover the Post Office scandal, about Rishi Sunak’s recent announcement of a mass exoneration of postmasters and postmistresses involved in the case.
Brooks raises concerns about the details of the compensation scheme and emphasises the need to clarify how it will be implemented and what victims need to do. He also highlights the difficulty of speaking out in a toxic work culture and suggests the importance of incentivising and rewarding whistleblowing to encourage more people to speak out
8 “Nobody CARES!” – Journalist SLAMS Govt For “Screwing The Little People” After Post Office Scandal
11 jan 2024
A Post Office investigator who has been described as having a “heavy footprint” in the Horizon IT scandal is due to give evidence for the inquiry’s first hearing of the year.
The statutory inquiry, which began in 2021 and is chaired by retired judge Sir Wyn Williams, has previously looked at the human impact of the scandal, the Horizon system roll-out and the operating of the system, and is now probing the action taken against subpostmasters.
The probe was established to ensure there is a “public summary of the failings which occurred with the Horizon IT system at the Post Office” and subsequently led to the wrongful convictions of subpostmasters.
Spiked Online’s Ella Whelan says the Post Office scandal is symptomatic of the mood in the UK that ordinary people “aren’t listened to”.
“It’s a clear example of ‘the little person being screwed’. A lot of people feel like in this country nobody cares!”
9 The Baffling Backstory Behind Michelle Mone’s PPE Scandal
20 dec 2023 The Rest Is Politics
Who actually is Michelle Mone? Does Starmer need to be braver in how he respond to attacks from his opponents? How much power does Viktor Orbán have in the EU?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all this and more on today’s episode of The Rest Is Politics.
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10 Post Office ‘knowingly withheld’ defence evidence from sub-postmasters | Forensic Auditor
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9 jan 2024
“Documents were being withheld from sub-postmasters that were relevant to a criminal prosecution.”
The Post Office “knowingly withheld” relevant defence evidence from sub postmasters, forensic auditor Ian Henderson who investigated the company in 2012 tells #timesradio
11 A full timeline of the Post Office Scandal | Stories of Our Times
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11 jan 2024 Stories of our Times | PODCAST
The Prime Minister has announced new legislation to quash the convictions of wrongly accused subpostmasters. It comes after a groundswell of interest – and outrage – in the story after an ITV drama was broadcast last week. How did a TV show achieve what years of journalism and a public inquiry had failed to? And what next for the convicted subpostmasters?
This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.
Guest: Tom Witherow, news and special projects reporter, The Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Clips: Times Radio, ITV, Parliament, Talk TV, GMB.
Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk
12 Post Office Scandal: Wrongly convicted pregnant sub-postmaster ‘collapsed’ following sentence
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11 jan 2024
A wrongly convicted pregnant sub-postmaster has told Sky News she “collapsed” when she was handed a 15 month sentence.
Seema Misra was jailed while she was eight weeks pregnant.
She said: “Until that day [in court] I had faith in the system, I thought it will be all fine, why would I go to prison for a crime I never committed?
“But when the judge said 15 month imprisonment, I was shocked, I collapsed. When I opened my eyes, I was in the hospital.”
13 Post Office scandal investigators accused of ‘Mafia-style’ bullying of subpostmasters
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11 jan 2024
A former Post Office investigator has told the public inquiry into the Horizon scandal that he and his colleagues did not “behave like mafia gangsters”.
Stephen Bradshaw admitted he had been aware of problems with the IT software, but claimed he was “not technically minded” and was just “a liaison”.
Warning: This report contains some offensive language
14 Sunak announces blanket exoneration for wrongly convicted in Post Office scandal
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10 jan 2024
A new law will wipe out the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of stealing from the Post Office. Rishi Sunak told MPs that the scandal caused by the faulty Horizon IT system is “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice” in the nation’s history.
The Government acknowledged it is controversial to use Parliament to override the verdicts of courts in England and Wales but said it was necessary because it was taking far too long to resolve cases individually.
15 ‘Anything to say to her?’ Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw challenged over Horizon scandal
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Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw challenged over his role in the Horizon scandal that saw many sub-postmasters jailed due to errors in an IT system.
16 “Although My Job Was Fraud Inspector, I Didn’t Know There Was Fraud!” Vanessa Feltz Slams Inquiry
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11 jan 2024
TalkTV’s Vanessa Feltz is joined by political correspondent Alicia Fitzgerald and legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg to discuss developments in the Post Office scandal.
The Government now plans to set aside 1 billion pounds ($1.27 billion) to compensate the wrongly convicted and others whose lives were destroyed in the scandal.
It comes after Stephen Bradshaw, a former Post Office investigator, is giving evidence to the Post Office public inquiry and has revealed he heard reports of problems with the Horizon software, but wasn’t “technically minded… I would expect that to come from the people above”
Bradshaw, who was involved in the criminal investigation of nine sub-postmasters, also says he was just “a small cog in this.”
17 “Its A Cover-up Isn’t It!” Kevin O’Sullivan Blasts Post Office Scandal Investigators
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11 jan 2024
TalkTV’s Kevin O’Sullivan and Alex Phillips are joined by Jason Coyne, who says he predicted the Horizon scandal before it happened nearly twenty years ago.
The government now plans to set aside 1 billion pounds ($1.27 billion) to compensate the wrongly convicted and others whose lives were destroyed in the scandal.
It comes after Stephen Bradshaw, a former Post Office investigator, is giving evidence to the Post Office public inquiry and has revealed he heard reports of problems with the Horizon software, but wasn’t “technically minded… I would expect that to come from the people above”
Bradshaw, who was involved in the criminal investigation of nine sub-postmasters, also says he was just “a small cog in this.”
18 Post Office Investigator denies behaving like a ‘mafia gangster’
19 Judge DESTROYS Post Office Expert
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11 jan 2024
Mr Justice Fraser tore apart the expert testimony of Dr Worden, expert for the Post Office, in the Bates v Post office case in the High Court.
20 Post Office’s Shocking Concealment of Evidence
10 jan 2024
The Post Office appears to have concealed/failed to disclose key evidence throughout the Horizon Scandal that could and should have exonerated the subpostmasters.
21 Post Office scandal: ‘They were put through complete hell’
9 jan 2024
Kevan Jones, Labour MP for North Durham, was one of the few who campaigned for the rights of sub-postmasters as the Post Office scandal unfolded.
Mr Jones says the ITV drama tells the story of the Post Office scandal in a way that hadn’t happened before, and brings it back into the public eye.
22 Post Office Contacted Me!
In première gegaan op 8 jan 2024 News
Post Office Contacted Me
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23 NEW!! UPDATE!! big breaking mews ABOUT Mr Bates’ Amy Nuttall backs petition to strip ex-Post Office
24 Post Office Inquiry LIVE: Watch Post Office lawyers give evidence over Horizon scandal
Chris Jackson, partner at a law firm representing the Post Office, gives evidence at the Post Office inquiry
25 Firm behind Post Office scandal makes £100m a year from taxpayers | The News Agenda
Did you believe her!?
Welcome to the world-famous Just for Laughs Gags, we’ve been playing silly pranks on unsuspecting people in public and capturing hilarious reactions with hidden cameras.
26 Firm behind Post Office scandal makes £100m a year from taxpayers | The News Agenda
Firm behind Post Office scandal makes £100m a year from taxpayers. Join Fleet Street Fox and John Stevens to discuss the top stories of the day, on The News Agenda Explained.
27 Daily Podcast: Post Office scandal – the victim, the journalist and the politician
8 jan 2024
More than 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 in what’s been deemed the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history. They were accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a faulty software system called Horizon.
Many lost jobs, homes, faced court battles and some took their own lives. So far, fewer than 100 have had their convictions quashed. In 2023 an independent inquiry began, and the Horizon scandal story has been serialized in a TV drama on ITV, boosting renewed interest in their fight for justice.
On the Sky New Daily, host Jonathan Samuels hears from three people who were portrayed in the ITV drama ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’, including former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton who had – within a year of owning his east Yorkshire post office – a computer system which showed around £25,000 in discrepancies. He was made to repay the money and pay costs of £321,000, which ended up bankrupting him.
Jonathan also speaks to Lord James Arbuthnot, who has supported victims of the Horizon scandal in seeking justice, and journalist Rebecca Thomson who first reported on the scandal in 2009 writing for Computer Weekly magazine.
28 Why Did It Take a TV Drama to Get Justice for the Post Office Scandal Victims? | Lorrain
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Following the news that former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is handing back her CBE, we’re joined by Gwyneth Hughes the writer of the recent ITV drama ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’ which shone a light on the Horizon IT scandal, and Jo Hamilton – one of many postmasters wrongly accused of stealing. They’ll reveal their shock at how the last 10 days have unfolded, and what they’d like to see happen next, as the scandal continues to build momentum.
29 Daily Podcast: ‘Why did we have to wait for a TV drama?’ – Post Office convictions quashed
10 jan 2024 Sky News Daily Podcasts
Rishi Sunak has promised a new law to exonerate and compensate Post Office branch managers who were wrongly prosecuted in the Horizon IT scandal.
But those seeking payouts will have to sign a statement of truth to say they didn’t commit the crimes they were accused of.
31 The People Behind This Cover Up MUST Face Jail
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Novara Live broadcasts every weekday from 6PM on YouTube and Twitch. Episodes of Downstream are released Sundays at 6PM on YouTube.
32 The Post Office scandal: Lessons from the UK’s largest miscarriage of justice | The New Statesman
11 jan 2024 The New Statesman Podcast
Rishi Sunak has announced new legislation to exonerate the victims of the Post Office Scandal, following ITV’s drama Mr Bates versus the Post Office.
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2DH…
Between 2009 and 2015 more than 700 people who ran Post Offices, also known as sub-postmasters, were wrongly accused of embezzling money and subsequently prosecuted. The fault was actually that of a dodgy computer accounting system.
In addition to having to pay back the money from their own pockets, the strain, stress and stigma of this wrongful conviction destroyed the livelihoods of many of the sub-postmasters who were subject to criminal convictions, imprisonment, and bankruptcy. In some cases this also led to illness, divorce, and suicide.
In 2019, the High Court ruled that the Horizon system was faulty and in 2020 the government set up a public inquiry. But this has had renewed national interest thanks to the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office which aired in the new year week, and has resulted in a major intervention by the government – which will introduce a blanket law to exonerate all those who were convicted.
Anoosh Chakelian, Will Dunn and Freddie Hayward discuss what we can learn from one of the country’s greatest miscarriages of justice.
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The New Statesman podcast is now on YouTube. Anoosh Chakelian and New Statesman colleagues including political editor Andrew Marr discuss the latest in UK politics news, helping you understand the forces shaping British politics today.
Watch all the latest episodes of the New Statesman podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
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The New Statesman brings you unrivalled analysis of of the latest UK and international politics. On our YouTube channel you’ll find insight on the top news and global current affairs stories, as well as insightful interviews with politicians, advisers and leading political thinkers, to help you understand the political and economic forces shaping the world.
With regular contributions from our writers including Political Editor Andrew Marr and Anoosh Chakelian – host of the New Statesman podcast – we’ll help you understand the world of politics and global affairs from Westminster to Washington and beyond.
33 New Post Office Scandal Law “The Lesser Of Two Evils” – Says The Times’ Aubrey Allegretti
11 jan 2024
The Times’ Aubrey Allegretti discusses lawyers warning against setting a precedent of government interference in the justice system as a new law will exonerate Post Office scandal victims.
The new law will be introduced to exonerate hundreds of Post Office branch managers caught up in the Horizon IT scandal with Rishi Sunak saying they were victims of “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history”.
Hundreds of sub-postmasters were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from a flawed IT system.
It comes after Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake said there has always been a “sense of urgency” over redress for victims of the Horizon scandal but stressed the “complexities” surrounding full and final settlements.
The Times’ Aubrey Allegretti: “Most ministers can see this is the lesser of two evils. It’s ultimately what they have to do.”
34 ‘The Post Office Can’t Be Trusted’ MP Claire Coutinho on New Exoneration Law | Good Morning Britain
11 jan 2024
Hundreds of innocent postmasters were wrongfully convicted over the Horizon IT Scandal will have their names cleared under new laws that have been brought forward by the government, but Alan Bates, the former Sub-postmaster who led the Campaign for justice, has said that for many cases, the offer of compensation is simply not enough.
We speak with the Secretary of State for Energy Security Claire Coutinho about the government’s blanket exonerations and whether or not Fujitsu should be held to account.
Broadcast on 11/01/24
35 “Absolute SHAMBLES And Travesty Of Justice” Jake Berry Blasts Post Office Bosses Involved In Scandal
10 jan 2024
Conservative MP and TalkTV presenter Sir Jake Berry has called for Post Office executives to be “stripped” of any taxpayer-backed pensions and bonuses following the Horizon software scandal.
Joining TalkTV’s Rosanna Lockwood, Jake says he’ll also be calling on the Government to ask Fujitsu – the company that made the faulty accounting software Horizon – to pay out compensation to victims.
More than 700 Post Office branch managers were given criminal convictions after the software made it appear as though money was missing from their shops.
There has been fresh public backlash to the scandal after ITV aired a drama starring actor Toby Jones last week about the scandal.
Ministers are drawing up plans to hasten the clearing of names of the hundreds who were wrongfully convicted.
36 Post Office scandal: Sub-postmasters are still fighting ‘tooth and nail’
10 jan 2024
“It’s still tooth and nail I’m afraid.”
Sub-postmasters are still fighting for compensation after claims that the Post Office has made less than a 15 per cent quantified claim offer says former sub-postmaster Chris Trousdale.
37 Post Office’s Richard Taylor Complains Media Focused On Scandal Victims In Secret Recording
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11 jan 2024
Hundreds of innocent postmasters were wrongfully convicted over the Horizon IT Scandal will have their names cleared under new laws that have been brought forward by the government, but Alan Bates, the former Sub-postmaster who led the Campaign for justice, has said that for many cases, the offer of compensation is simply not enough.
We speak with the Secretary of State for Energy Security Claire Coutinho about the government’s blanket exonerations and whether or not Fujitsu should be held to account.
Broadcast on 11/01/24
38 Post Office investigator grilled over Horizon scandal in Inquiry hearing
Stephen Bradshaw tells the Post Office inquiry that a legal team wrote his witness statement, that he “in hindsight” doesn’t approve of.
39 MPs wipe floor with disgraceful Post Office in House of Commons
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MPs from all corners of the House line up to slam the Post Office, who sought litigation against subpostmasters.
40 “Arrogance And Lies!” Ex-Post Office Manager Reacts To Secret Recording Of Richard Taylor
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12 jan 2024
Ex-Post Office manager Nicki Arch reacts to TalkTV’s exclusive secret recordings of Post Office Director of Comms Richard Taylor.
Hundreds of Post Office branch managers were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from the technology giant’s flawed Horizon accounting system.
Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that hundreds of subpostmasters in England and Wales could have their names cleared by the end of the year under blanket legislation to be introduced within weeks.
Nicki says: “Their arrogance and lies have wrecked people’s lives. To think someone of that calibre can talk like that – he needs to be prosecuted.”
41 Post Office’s Richard Taylor Complains Media Focused On Scandal Victims In Secret Recording
12 jan 2024
EXCLUSIVE: Secret recordings reveal Post Office’s Richard Taylor complaining the media was focused on scandal victims instead of their successes in stopping convictions being overturned.
Hundreds of Post Office branch managers were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from the technology giant’s flawed Horizon accounting system.
Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that hundreds of subpostmasters in England and Wales could have their names cleared by the end of the year under blanket legislation to be introduced within weeks.
Richard says: “The reason why most of them weren’t convicted is that the money’s got lost!”
42 The efforts of the Post office management to misinform the BBC and the courts
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12 jan 2024
Post office Ltd is soiled beyond redemption. A new post office system must be established that is different from and unconnected to this mess- it must be rolled out to support local communities across the country and probably to take over the roles played by local highstreet banks.
43 “I Plead Guilty, I Didn’t Want To Go To Prison!” – Post Office Scandal Victim On Wrongful Conviction
9 jan 2024
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has accused the Post Office of lying to him on an “industrial scale” as he comes under pressure over the Horizon scandal.
Sir Ed has been facing fresh scrutiny over his role as postal affairs minister in the coalition government, with the major miscarriage of justice in the spotlight thanks to an ITV drama.
Victims of the scandal that saw hundreds of subpostmasters convicted because of faulty accounting software have argued the MP has questions to answer.
He is also facing increasing Conservative attacks about his ministerial role between 2010 and 2012.
Sir Ed told broadcasters: “I wish I had known then what we all know now, the Post Office was lying on an industrial scale to me and other ministers.”
He said it was “clear they were all lying to me” as he put the concerns of campaigning former subpostmaster Alan Bates to officials.
Post Office scandal victim Janet Skinner was wrongly jailed for nine months after faulty software made it look like money was missing from their sites.
“I took his advice and pleaded guilty to the false accounting, I didn’t want to go to prison! I took the easy option.”
44 ‘Toxic work culture’ stopping Post Office scandal victims speaking out, says Private Eye journalist
11 jan 2024
Andrew Marr speaks to Private Eye journalist Richard Brooks, who was one of the first journalists to cover the Post Office scandal, about Rishi Sunak’s recent announcement of a mass exoneration of postmasters and postmistresses involved in the case.
Brooks raises concerns about the details of the compensation scheme and emphasises the need to clarify how it will be implemented and what victims need to do. He also highlights the difficulty of speaking out in a toxic work culture and suggests the importance of incentivising and rewarding whistleblowing to encourage more people to speak out.
45 Post Office Scandal Explained
How did they get away with this for so long? For this video, WatchMojoUK explores the Horizon Post Office Scandal in the UK. We’re looking at how this problem has gone unaddressed for so long, and explaining what’s happened since ITV’s bombshell drama came out. Let us know if anybody in your life was affected by this.
46 Criminal charges in the Post Office scandal? Feat. Marina Purkiss & Wilfred | Jeremy Vine
8 jan 2024
It’s been announced that criminal charges are being brought in the historic Post Office case featured in a drama by ITV.
But why does it take a television show for this to happen and is the current compensation adequate given the damage it did to the employees?
47 Post Office investigator agrees security team was ‘drenched’ with information about faulty Horizon
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11 jan 2024 #DailyRecord #postoffice #horizon
Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw was questioned over whether his department were “drenched” in information about Horizon not working, which came from “hundreds and hundreds” of subpostmasters.
Edward Henry KC, who represents subpostmistress Janet Skinner among others, said: “Mr Bradshaw, contrary to what you say, you and your department, the security department, were drenched in information that Horizon wasn’t working from the very beginning.”
Mr Bradshaw replied: “The information came through, yes.”
Mr Henry continued: “That information came from scores and scores, and ultimately hundreds and hundreds, of innocent subpostmasters who were suffering an epidemic of shortfalls.”
Mr Bradshaw said: “Yes.”
48 How the Post Office scandal tore one North London’s dad’s life apart
Former Post Office manager Kamran Ashraf, 46, and his former sub-postmistress wife Siema Kamran, 48, bought the Hampstead Heath Post Office between 2001 and 2003. They felt forced to plead guilty to theft when £25,000 went missing from their Post Office, despite being innocent, and he was sentenced to nine months in jail in 2004. The father-of-three spent 10 weeks behind bars and eventually had his conviction overturned in 2020, receiving more than £200,000 in compensation so far. He now works for the Department for Work and Pensions and has been diagnosed with severe PTSD. The couple are still yet to receive full compensation for the mental toll, his time in prison and other losses.
49 Taxpayer ON HOOK for £1 BILLION Post Office compensation bill
49 Post Office lies to their OWN barrister to get him to mislead judge; then tries to get judge removed
It goes from bad to worse! Post Office tries to get new judge who doesn’t know what a bunch of you-know-whats they are; and they lied to their own barrister so he could mislead the court.
50 Post Office ‘knowingly withheld’ defence evidence from sub-postmasters | Forensic Auditor
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“Documents were being withheld from sub-postmasters that were relevant to a criminal prosecution.” The Post Office “knowingly withheld” relevant defence evidence from sub postmasters, forensic auditor Ian Henderson who investigated the company in 2012 tells #timesradio
51 Horizon software ‘trouble’ before it was rolled out to Post Offices
10 jan 2024
A former editor of the publication which first brought the Horizon Post Office scandal to light says the software “was trouble even before the system was rolled out to 18,000 post offices.”
The government has introduced new legislation to overturn the convictions of victims of the Post Office scandal.
Computer Weekly first published the story in 2009. Its former editor Tony Collins told Sky News there is secrecy around IT issues in government which meant it remained covered up.
He went on to say that Fujitsu software is still used in many government departments and the government “can’t afford to fall out with Fujitsu.”
52 Should ex-Post Office boss return £2m bonuses? Feat. Ann Widdecombe & Michael J Walker | Jeremy Vine
11 jan 2024
The Post Office controversy continues to gain pace, with a lot of the blame being placed with Paula Vennells, who said she would hand back her CBE.
Jeremy Vine on 5 is on television every weekday at 9:15am until 1:30pm on Channel 5.
53 MPs wipe floor with disgraceful Post Office in House of Commons
MPs from all corners of the House line up to slam the Post Office, who sought litigation against subpostmasters.
54 Post Office scandal: Ministers to ‘STRIP’ Post Office of prosecution powers and ‘exonerate victims’
55 ‘I requested an apology letter and was declined.’ More post office scandal victims speak out | LBC
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8 jan 2024
“I’ve been on antidepressants for 22 years.”
Nick Ferrari hears from Nicki Arch, one of the former post office managers wrongly accused of fraud during the Horizon scandal. Caller Raj, whose parents owned a post office and paid off the error notices to avoid legal action.
The scandal has received renewed attention following the release of ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office.
The Post Office introduced Fujitsu’s Horizon IT system as part of a modernisation effort in 1999 – but its glitches led to cash appearing to go missing, which was blamed on subpostmasters who ran branches.
Hundreds of innocent subpostmasters were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting between 1999 and 2015. It’s widely considered the greatest miscarriage of justice in modern British history.
56 Urgent question on Post Office scandal in House of Commons – watch live
Rishi Sunak takes questions in parliament during prime minister’s question time the urgent question on Post Office scandal in House of Commons
57 Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry examines ‘action against sub-postmasters’ | Tuesday, December 19
Live gestreamd op 19 dec 2023
Phase 4 of the inquiry is examining ‘Action against sub-postmasters and others: policymaking, audits and investigations, civil and criminal proceedings, knowledge of and responsibility for failures in investigation and disclosure’.
The inquiry will hear from criminal prosecutions expert witness Duncan Atkinson KC.
Earlier this year, the government announced a new fixed sum payment of £600,000 for victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal in an effort to provide quicker compensation.
58 The most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history explained | Post Office Horizon IT scandal
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9 jan 2024
The Post Office Horizon IT scandal is the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history, with 900 postmasters wrongly taken to court.
The Times reporter, Tom Witherow, has everything you need to know.
59 Toby Jones: How Do They Sleep At Night? 📮
British acting royalty Toby Jones stars as Alan Bates in brand new drama ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’ and joins the Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose to chat all about the remarkable true story at the heart of the scandal 📮
60 “I Lost My Livelihood” Post Office Scandal Victim To Bring Legal Case After ITV Drama
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10 jan 2024
A former sub-postmistress who lost everything due to the Post Office’s Horizon IT system says she wants to bring a legal case after seeing the ITV drama on the scandal.
Grandmother Cheryl Shaw says she had to put in her own money after the Horizon accounting software began stating that she was short in her weekly count-ups.
She joins TalkTV’s Rosanna Lockwood and says she now wants to bring a legal case.
Ministers are drawing up plans to hasten the clearing of names of the hundreds who were wrongfully convicted.
61 ‘I want ANSWERS!’: ‘Depth of MISERY’ from Post Office scandal needs to be solved ‘FAST’
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62 ‘National outrage’: Piers Morgan calls for ‘accountability’ over UK Post Office scandal
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9 jan 2024
Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan says the UK Post Office scandal is “nothing less than a national outrage,” with more than 700 branch managers mistakenly convicted of false accounting, fraud and theft.
“We now know that was because of faulty software they were forced to install and use,” Mr Morgan said.
“They did nothing wrong; they weren’t criminals – men and women who were often the backbone of their towns and villages, running small businesses that provide an essential service for some of the most vulnerable, were hauled over the coals as fraudsters.
“Some were wrongfully sent to prison, many were financially ruined, marriages broke down, many collapsed into addiction and sickness as they lost everything.
“Some of them have since died, including four who took their own lives simply unable to cope with the appalling smear and strain of false convictions hanging over them until the very end.
“Where is the accountability for this shameful fiasco?”
63 ‘Five potential targets’ in Post Office investigation
6 jan 2024 #TimesRadio
“Why did it go wrong and who knew what?”
There are “five potential targets” in the Post Office investigation, which will be watched “really closely” by the Metropolitan police, litigator James Hartley tells #TimesRadio.
64 ‘Five potential targets’ in Post Office investigation
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6 jan 2024
“Why did it go wrong and who knew what?” There are “five potential targets” in the Post Office investigation, which will be watched “really closely” by the Metropolitan police, litigator James Hartley tells #TimesRadio.
65 David Davis: ‘I don’t care if it bankrupts the Post Office’ don’t challenge the Postmasters
7 jan 2024
“There should be no challenge. The appeal is made and it basically goes through on the nod.”
Neither the Post Office nor judicial system should challenge appeals by Horizon scandal victims seeking to overturn wrongful convictions says Sir David Davis, Conservative MP and former Brexit Secretary.
66 Post Office’s Richard Taylor Complains Media Focused On Scandal Victims In Secret Recording
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12 jan 2024
EXCLUSIVE: Secret recordings reveal Post Office’s Richard Taylor complaining the media was focused on scandal victims instead of their successes in stopping convictions being overturned.
Hundreds of Post Office branch managers were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from the technology giant’s flawed Horizon accounting system.
Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that hundreds of subpostmasters in England and Wales could have their names cleared by the end of the year under blanket legislation to be introduced within weeks.
Richard says: “The reason why most of them weren’t convicted is that the money’s got lost!”
67 “Arrogance And Lies!” Ex-Post Office Manager Reacts To Secret Recording Of Richard Taylor
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12 jan 2024
Ex-Post Office manager Nicki Arch reacts to TalkTV’s exclusive secret recordings of Post Office Director of Comms Richard Taylor.
Hundreds of Post Office branch managers were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from the technology giant’s flawed Horizon accounting system.
Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that hundreds of subpostmasters in England and Wales could have their names cleared by the end of the year under blanket legislation to be introduced within weeks.
Nicki says: “Their arrogance and lies have wrecked people’s lives. To think someone of that calibre can talk like that – he needs to be prosecuted.”
68 “Disband It!” Kevin O’Sullivan BLASTS Post Office Investigator Accused Of Intimidation
12 jan 2024
TalkTV’s Kevin O’Sullivan and Alex Phillips discuss a subpostmistress accusing a Post Office investigator of intimidation, an inquiry heard.
Hundreds of Post Office branch managers were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from the technology giant’s flawed Horizon accounting system.
Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that hundreds of subpostmasters in England and Wales could have their names cleared by the end of the year under blanket legislation to be introduced within weeks.
Kevin O’Sullivan: “I think we should disband the Post Office and set up a new organisation. This is a scandal from which it can never emerge!”
69 Post Office minister says ‘we have a solution for victims’ with announcement on scandal ‘imminent’
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10 jan 2024
Kevin Hollinrake, the Post Office minister, has confirmed an announcement on the Horizon IT scandal is “imminent” from the government.
He told Sky News ministers “believe we have a solution” but he said that a decision has not yet been finalised.
Mr Hollinrake added: “We’re still in the detail discussions, but we’re very, very close. It will be this week.”
70 Post Office Scandal Keir Starmer Involved
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71 “These People Have Been Failed” – Says Paul Scully Former Post Office Minister
9 jan 2024
Julia Hartley-Brewer discusses the latest revelations of the Post Office scandal with former postal affairs minister Paul Scully.
It comes as ministers have began drawing up plans to hasten the clearing of hundreds sub-postmasters who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal.
Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake told MPs on Monday that ways to overturn the convictions were being investigated, including possible legislation.
Mr Hollinrake hinted at a solution as soon as this week as the Government scrambled to take action after the miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.
Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has come under increasing pressure over her CBE, with over 1 million people already having signed a petition for it to be stripped. Rishi Sunak signalled he would support a committee looking into the honour.
Paul Scully says: “She should have a self-awareness to hand the thing back after all of this.”
72 “These Are The Lives Of People Who Have Done Nothing Wrong!” Vanessa Feltz SLAMS Post Office Scandal
10 jan 2024
TalkTV’s Vanessa Feltz is joined by Varchas Patel, whose father was a victim of the Post Office scandal, to discuss the impact of the blunder that saw employees wrongly accused of theft.
It comes after the former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is set to hand back her CBE following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.
The former chief executive, who ran Post Office while it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system, was appointed a CBE in December 2018.
In a statement, Ms Vennells said: “I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.”
73 “They’re Either Completely Negligent Or Complicit!” Post Office Scandal Victims Slam Those Involved
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9 jan 2024
TalkTV’s Kevin O’Sullivan and Alex Phillips are joined by two victims of the Post Office scandal, Christopher Head and Wendy Buffrey, to discuss the impact it had on their lives.
It comes after the former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is set to hand back her CBE following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters.
The former chief executive, who ran the Post Office while it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system, was appointed a CBE in December 2018.
In a statement, Ms Vennells said: “I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.”
74 Post Office scandal: Scottish sub-postmaster who tried to take own life still battling to clear name
11 jan 2024
A former Scottish sub-postmaster who attempted to take his own life after being convicted in the Post Office scandal has told Sky News he has no faith in government plans to pardon victims.
Rab Thomson, who lives in Clackmannanshire, is one of around 100 people in Scotland wrongfully given a criminal record after bogus shortfalls appeared in the faulty Horizon IT system.
He said he tried to take his own life, adding: “I came and told my wife that I was finished. I said ‘I can’t live with this’. Depression is a really serious thing.”
75 Post Office Scandal: Victims to receive £600k ‘at least’
“The government will be giving those people in this scheme £600,000 compensation at least.”
Political editor Kate McCann tells #TimesRadio what the new law that the PM wants to introduce for those wrongly convicted in the Horizon scandal, means in practical terms.
76 “The National DISEASE” Rod Liddle Hits Out At Bosses Involved In Post Office Scandal
8 jan 2024
The Government is “looking at” the option of exonerating Post Office branch managers involved in the Horizon scandal, the Prime Minister has said.
Rishi Sunak on Sunday confirmed a report that Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is considering ways of helping to clear the names of convicted subpostmasters caught up in what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history.
More than 700 Post Office branch managers were given criminal convictions after faulty Fujitsu accounting software called Horizon made it appear as though money was missing from their shops.
There has been fresh public backlash to the scandal after ITV aired a drama starring actor Toby Jones last week about the scandal.
Reports suggest since Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was broadcast, 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers.
The Post Office is wholly owned by the Government and a public inquiry into Horizon is ongoing.
TalkTV’s Jeremy Kyle and Rosie Wright discuss the story with The Sun columnist Rod Liddle.
Rod blames “the national disease” for delays in giving compensation to victims of the Post Office scandal.
77 Post Office | “Why Does It Take A TV Drama For The Nation To Wake Up?” | Horizon Scandal
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13 jan 2024 LONDON
Liberal Democrat MPs have been provided with a template letter to address inquiries from constituents concerning Sir Ed Davey’s connection to the Post Office scandal. The party leader has faced scrutiny following revelations that he initially declined a meeting with activist Alan Bates during his tenure as a minister.
Davey acknowledges his regret, stating that he failed to recognise the misinformation provided by the Post Office at that time.
Dr David Bull and Dr Renee Hoenderkamp speak with 5News correspondent Julian Druker.
78 THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL – MR BATES VS THE POST OFFICE – OUR REACTION
10 jan 2024
Here’s the latest episode where Tom and myself discuss Post Office Scandal and the new ITV Drama ‘Mr Bates vs. The Post Office’
What do you think?
Remember – we are just two blokes chatting as if we were in a pub. We hope you find it amusing.
Please add your comments – share the episode with your friends – and please SUBSCRIBE
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Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.
79 ‘People Should Go To Jail Over Post Office Scandal’, Says Lord Arbuthnot | Julia Hartley-Brewer
10 jan 2024
A Conservative peer, who played a role in helping sub-postmasters convicted in the Post Office scandal get justice, has said that people should go to jail for it.
Speaking to TalkTV’s Julia Hartley-Brewer, Lord James Arbuthnot said: “I do think we need some criminal cases here”.
He also added that the process of sorting out exonerations and compensation needs to be “turbocharged.”
More than 700 Post Office branch managers were given criminal convictions after the software made it appear as though money was missing from their shops.
There has been fresh public backlash to the scandal after ITV aired a drama starring actor Toby Jones last week about the scandal.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that a new law would be introduced so people wrongly convicted are “swiftly exonerared and compensated”.
80 “Leaders In Charge At The Time MUST Hand Back Bonuses” Says Conservative MP On Post Office Scandal
10 jan 2024
TalkTV’s Kevin O’Sullivan and Alex Phillips are joined by conservative MP Paul Bristow to discuss the fallout from the Post Office scandal.
Rishi Sunak has said a new law will be introduced so people wrongly convicted in the scandal are “swiftly exonerated and compensated”.
In the first Prime Minister’s Questions of the year, the PM said he plans to make sure those convicted as part of the Post Office issue get exonerated through an act of parliament.
Mr Sunak also said those who were part of the group litigation order against the Post Office would be eligible for an “upfront payment of £75,000”.
It comes after the former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is set to hand back her CBE following the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.
81 “Fraudsters!” Mike Graham CALLS OUT Post Office Bosses Amid Horizon Scandal
10 jan 2024
Mike Graham calls out eight top execs who worked at the Post Office during the Horizon scandal, earning big money while victims “suffered”.
It comes after the former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is set to hand back her CBE following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.
The former chief executive, who ran Post Office while it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system, was appointed a CBE in December 2018.
In a statement, Ms Vennells said: “I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.”
Mike says: “Let’s hope today’s events are the beginning of the end for these fraudsters, never again will they push the little people around!”.
82 Post Office Scandal: Former Postal Affairs minister ‘hopes’ Vennells will give back her CBE
8 jan 2024
“Postmasters don’t need warm words from me or any other politician. They want people just to act.”
Paula Vennells shouldn’t “be rewarded for failure” says former Postal Affairs minister Paul Scully, adding he hopes she gives back her CBE, on #timesradio
83 Ex Post Office Boss Paula Vennells Agrees to Hand Back CBE | This Morning
10 jan 2024
What’s got Britain talking? We’ll be discussing today’s top stories with Nick Ferrari and Sayeeda Warsi.
84 KBV-953 The Real Mr Bates Speaks On BBC Breakfast about Post Office Scandal & The TV Dramatisation
85 Post Office Scandal – Lawyer SAVAGES Prosecutors | Sky News
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10 jan 2024
Top UK criminal defence lawyer and Mary Monson Solicitors director Joseph Kotrie-Monson breaks down the factors which enabled the Fujitsu Horizon scandal to claim the careers, the liberty and in some cases the lives of hundreds of innocent Post Office submasters.
Also interviewed is one of the wrongfully convicted sub-postmasters Gary Brown, who served the Post Office for 14 years, and paid tens of thousands of pounds of his own money before his conviction to make good the computer system’s losses.
Is the government’s announcement of exonerations and compensation enough? What is to stop investigators or prosecutors acting like this again in the future?
In a heated and scathing interview Joseph breaks down the history and the government‘s failure to address the root cause of this unprecedented legal travesty.
Mary Monson Solicitors is a national law firm defending in serious and complex fraud cases. For more information go to www.marymonson.co.uk
86 Pretending to be an Author Prank!!
Did you believe her!?
Welcome to the world-famous Just for Laughs Gags, we’ve been playing silly pranks on unsuspecting people in public and capturing hilarious reactions with hidden cameras.