Badenoch accuses former Post Office boss of lying in Horizon row

The former chairman of WH Smith claimed the order to stall payments seemed to be an attempt by the Government to reduce its financial liability before the country went to the polls. I didn’t ask, because I said ‘I’m having no part of it – I’m not here to limp into the election, it’s not the right thing to do by postmasters.’ The word ‘limp’ gives you a snapshot of where they were.” He also claimed that when Mrs Badenoch contacted him to sack him, she told him “well, someone’s got to take the rap for this”. ‘Disgraceful representation’ But on Sunday afternoon, Mrs Badenoch, who is tipped to be a future Tory leader, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the interview was a “disgraceful misrepresentation of my conversation with him and the reasons for his dismissal”. She said: “Far from ‘taking the rap’, I dismissed Staunton due to very serious allegations about his conduct while chair of the Post Office, including blocking an investigation into that conduct. “That he chose to run to the media with made-up anecdotes and a series of falsehoods confirms I made the correct decision… “We will make a statement tomorrow telling the truth about what’s been happening.” The Telegraph understands that he was removed after the Government was informed that Mr Staunton was allegedly blocking whistleblowers concerned about his approach to delivering justice for the postmasters.