Why did it fall to TV execs to fight for victims of the Post Office scandal?
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Why did it fall to TV execs to fight for victims of the Post Office scandal?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy MPs are saying that it is time to exonerate the sub-postmasters and mistresses whose lives were wrecked by the Post Office scandal that saw these pillars of the community up and down the country falsely accused of fraud, theft and false accounting. Rishi Sunak has intervened, saying he would “strongly support” any review that looked into revoking former Post Office boss Paula Vennells’ CBE in the wake of the Horizon scandal. Why is Paula Vennells, the Post Office’s CEO while these events took place, still holding a CBE and enjoying the proceeds of her time in charge when people in her employ were having their lives ripped to shreds? And as the drama noted at its conclusion, “no one has served a moment’s jail time for unlawfully killing Kevin and 96 other people at Hillsborough”.

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History of this topic

A year after the Horizon Post Office scandal was exposed, victims must get justice
1 week, 5 days ago

A year after the Horizon Post Office scandal was exposed, victims must get justice

The Independent  

It is almost a year on from the broadcast of the ITV dramatisation Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which triggered an almost unprecedented wave of national outrage. Since New Year’s Day 2024 – when Toby Jones, Monica Dolan, Julie Hesmondhalgh and the other members of the cast injected life and emotion into what had been a shamefully neglected episode …

Post Office boss told ‘not to dig into the past’ by top lawyer, Horizon IT inquiry hears
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Post Office boss told ‘not to dig into the past’ by top lawyer, Horizon IT inquiry hears

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Post Office chief executive Nick Read has said he was …

Post Office boss told not to ‘dig into the past’ by top lawyer, inquiry hears
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Post Office boss told not to ‘dig into the past’ by top lawyer, inquiry hears

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Post Office chief executive Nick …

Britain’s CEO of scandal-ridden Post Office will step down next year
3 months ago

Britain’s CEO of scandal-ridden Post Office will step down next year

Associated Press  

LONDON — The chief executive of Britain’s scandal-ridden Post Office will step down next year, the company said Wednesday, as criticism mounts over the speed of compensation payments to branch managers wrongly convicted of theft or fraud because of a faulty computer system. Nick Read said it has been a “great privilege” to have been chief executive of the company …

Nothing has changed under Labour, say Post Office victims
3 months, 1 week ago

Nothing has changed under Labour, say Post Office victims

The Telegraph  

Victims of the Post Office scandal said that “nothing has changed” under Labour as ITV’s drama about the miscarriage of justice won three prizes at the National Television Awards. Mr Bates vs The Post Office, a four-part series about the Horizon IT scandal, won the NTA impact award for creating a “huge cultural shift” at the O2 in London on …

Mr Bates v Post Office star Will Mellor is still ‘angry’ about Horizon scandal
5 months ago

Mr Bates v Post Office star Will Mellor is still ‘angry’ about Horizon scandal

The Independent  

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mr Bates vs the Post Office star Will Mellor says he …

Are we witnessing the death of ‘distinctive’ British TV?
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Are we witnessing the death of ‘distinctive’ British TV?

The Independent  

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The UK has a strong history of powerful and purposeful dramas shining light on social …

Alan Bates says he has ‘no sympathy’ for tearful Paula Vennells
7 months ago

Alan Bates says he has ‘no sympathy’ for tearful Paula Vennells

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He said: “They certainly are going to investigate, I’ve …

Post Office scandal: Subpostmistress who ‘paid back’ £70,000 says her children were accused of stealing
7 months ago

Post Office scandal: Subpostmistress who ‘paid back’ £70,000 says her children were accused of stealing

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. With her mother, she paid £70,000 back to the Post …

Former UK Post Office boss breaks down in inquiry over scandal that saw hundreds wrongly convicted
7 months ago

Former UK Post Office boss breaks down in inquiry over scandal that saw hundreds wrongly convicted

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

The Post Office scandal – a timeline of key events
7 months ago

The Post Office scandal – a timeline of key events

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Here is a timeline of key events from the scandal: – 1999 The Horizon …

Post Office chief executive ‘exonerated of misconduct claims’
8 months, 1 week ago

Post Office chief executive ‘exonerated of misconduct claims’

The Telegraph  

‘Inaccuracies and falsehoods’ The Post Office said Mr Staunton’s claims contained “inaccuracies and falsehoods” and Mr Read told his staff last month that he “absolutely refutes” bullying claims. On Wednesday, the organisation said the report, compiled by barrister Marianne Tutin of Devereux Chambers, had exonerated Mr Read of all misconduct allegations and he had the “united backing of the board”. …

UK's Post Office scandal: Indian-origin woman rejects ex-boss's apology
8 months, 1 week ago

UK's Post Office scandal: Indian-origin woman rejects ex-boss's apology

Hindustan Times  

An Indian-origin ex-manager of a Post Office in the UK, has rejected her former boss's apology, pointing to how she had been pregnant for two months when wrongly imprisoned more than 12 years ago after being convicted for a theft. The apology by Smith, now a former Managing Director at the Post Office, came during Thursday's hearings for the Post …

‘I exposed the Post Office scandal years before the inquiry – so why is justice taking so long?’
8 months, 2 weeks ago

‘I exposed the Post Office scandal years before the inquiry – so why is justice taking so long?’

The Independent  

It was after an article I’d written about the Post Office scandal was published in February 2020 that an email from a TV production company pinged into my inbox: “Having read your piece about the subpostmaster’s story, I know it’s crying out to be a drama.” Four years later, it is. They trusted the Post Office – which on its …

Post Office hit by string of formal complaints amid toxic culture claims
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Post Office hit by string of formal complaints amid toxic culture claims

The Telegraph  

Post Office bosses have been hit with a string of formal complaints over their conduct, The Telegraph can reveal, with nine grievances raised about executives under the leadership of chief executive Nick Read. Data released under Freedom of Information laws shows that nine formal grievances have been filed against members of the Post Office’s group executive, its most senior leaders, …

Law to exonerate wronged subpostmasters moves a step closer
9 months ago

Law to exonerate wronged subpostmasters moves a step closer

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Post Office Offences Bill received an unopposed second …

Post Office scandal victim Jo Hamilton tells Brit Awards audience that government still hasn’t paid her yet
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Post Office scandal victim Jo Hamilton tells Brit Awards audience that government still hasn’t paid her yet

The Independent  

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The honour of presenting the first award of the …

Post Office campaigner Alan Bates tells Government to ‘get on and pay people’
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Post Office campaigner Alan Bates tells Government to ‘get on and pay people’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Bates told the Business and Trade Committee that …

Post office should be sold for £1, wronged postmaster Alan Bates tells MPs
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Post office should be sold for £1, wronged postmaster Alan Bates tells MPs

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He added: “You should sell it to someone like Amazon for £1, get really good …

Post Office victims wronged in Horizon scandal to have names cleared by new law
10 months ago

Post Office victims wronged in Horizon scandal to have names cleared by new law

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake on Thursday said the “unprecedented intervention” will “deliver long …

ITV says yes to infected blood scandal drama after success of Post Office series
10 months ago

ITV says yes to infected blood scandal drama after success of Post Office series

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy ITV has given the go-ahead to a drama about the …

Ex-Post Office chair says government told him to delay compensation for postmasters until election
10 months ago

Ex-Post Office chair says government told him to delay compensation for postmasters until election

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The business secretary has accused the former chairman of the Post …

Alan Bates rejects ‘derisory’ payout over Post Office scandal
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Alan Bates rejects ‘derisory’ payout over Post Office scandal

The Telegraph  

Alan Bates has revealed he will reject a “cruel” and “derisory” Post Office Horizon scandal compensation offer from the Government. The Government has been repeatedly criticised for its treatment of sub-postmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal – some of whom have never received any compensation despite their lives being ruined. In 2022, ministers confirmed plans to compensate sub-postmasters who …

No deadline for full compensation for Post Office victims, says Kemi Badenoch
10 months, 3 weeks ago

No deadline for full compensation for Post Office victims, says Kemi Badenoch

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} No deadline will …

Post Office chairman ousted amid government frustration over Horizon scandal
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Post Office chairman ousted amid government frustration over Horizon scandal

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Ms Badenoch said she “felt there was a need for …

The Post Office scandal shows the perils of putting our faith in IT
10 months, 3 weeks ago

The Post Office scandal shows the perils of putting our faith in IT

The Independent  

What was telling in the cases of the Post Office operators suspected of fraud was the lack of corroborative evidence. “Without corroborative evidence, the rule should be that data cannot be depended upon,” said the IT expert drafted in by the Post Office. Dr Sam De Silva, chair of the BCS Law Specialist Group and technology partner at international law …

Post Office’s secret decision to sack forensic accountants branded ‘disgusting’
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Post Office’s secret decision to sack forensic accountants branded ‘disgusting’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Post Office Scandal: MPs grill ‘sorry’ Fujitsu boss as Alan Bates slams compensation delays
11 months ago

Post Office Scandal: MPs grill ‘sorry’ Fujitsu boss as Alan Bates slams compensation delays

The Independent  

✕ Close Real-life Mr Bates opens up on Post Office scandal depicted in ITV drama For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

Mr Bates vs the Post Office: compensate us before we die
11 months, 1 week ago

Mr Bates vs the Post Office: compensate us before we die

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Fujitsu’s Europe director Paul Patterson also apologised for what he …

Post Office boss blames ‘culture of denial’ for Horizon compensation delay
11 months, 1 week ago

Post Office boss blames ‘culture of denial’ for Horizon compensation delay

The Telegraph  

The chief executive of the Post Office presided over a “culture of denial” as the company dragged its feet over compensation payments for victims of the Horizon scandal, MPs heard on Tuesday. On a day of revelations, it emerged that the Post Office faces financial liabilities of up to £1 billion even as controversial IT company Fujitsu said it would …

Mr Bates vs The Post Office: How a TV drama shook up Britain – in just a week
11 months, 1 week ago

Mr Bates vs The Post Office: How a TV drama shook up Britain – in just a week

BBC  

Mr Bates vs The Post Office: How a TV drama shook up Britain – in just a week ITV Since a drama about one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history aired last week, more than a million people have signed a petition and the British government have announced a new law. ITV Toby Jones plays post office …

The Post Office must lose the right to police itself
11 months, 1 week ago

The Post Office must lose the right to police itself

The Independent  

Another highly unexpected – but highly welcome – consequence of the ITV dramatisation of the Post Office/Horizon scandal is that the previously little-noticed proceedings of the statutory inquiry are now carried live, gavel to gavel, to a global audience. Given the inquiry’s wide-ranging powers – which allow for the collation of confidential material, including recordings of conversations – the outcome …

Post Office hero Alan Bates hails new law to quash postmaster convictions
11 months, 1 week ago

Post Office hero Alan Bates hails new law to quash postmaster convictions

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Responding to Rishi Sunak’s announcement over new legislation to swiftly exonerate those who were …

The creators of Mr Bates vs the Post Office on the drama’s colossal impact: ‘We tapped into the nation’s rage’
11 months, 1 week ago

The creators of Mr Bates vs the Post Office on the drama’s colossal impact: ‘We tapped into the nation’s rage’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy On New Year’s Day, TV …

UK Post Office scandal: Parliamentary committee seeks to speed up compensation for victims
11 months, 1 week ago

UK Post Office scandal: Parliamentary committee seeks to speed up compensation for victims

Associated Press  

LONDON — Lawmakers trying to get to the bottom of one of Britain’s gravest injustices were questioning bosses of the Post Office and Fujitsu on Tuesday as momentum grew to compensate and clear the names of more than 900 Post Office branch managers wrongly convicted of theft or fraud because of the Japanese company’s faulty computer system. Three years later, …

Post Office scandal: TV drama forces Rishi Sunak to announce new law exonerating 736 convicted subpostmasters
11 months, 1 week ago

Post Office scandal: TV drama forces Rishi Sunak to announce new law exonerating 736 convicted subpostmasters

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. There will also be a new upfront payment of £75,000 …

It shouldn’t have taken a change in the law – or a TV drama – to deliver justice to the Post Office victims
11 months, 1 week ago

It shouldn’t have taken a change in the law – or a TV drama – to deliver justice to the Post Office victims

The Independent  

The Post Office scandal has dragged on for so long, been so traumatising for its survivors, and has – albeit latterly – provoked such public outrage that the pressure to cut the Gordian knot has grown irresistible. The recent ITV series, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, provoked a visceral reaction to the plight of hundreds of innocent people who …

Post Office scandal: Rishi Sunak announces new law to quash convictions of Horizon victims
11 months, 1 week ago

Post Office scandal: Rishi Sunak announces new law to quash convictions of Horizon victims

The Independent  

✕ Close Rishi Sunak says Post Office horizon scandal an 'appalling miscarriage of justice' Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read …

Postmasters prosecuted by CPS while Keir Starmer was in charge
11 months, 1 week ago

Postmasters prosecuted by CPS while Keir Starmer was in charge

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Keir Starmer …

Post Office scandal: How will the new law to exonerate victims of Horizon work?
11 months, 1 week ago

Post Office scandal: How will the new law to exonerate victims of Horizon work?

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} After weeks of …

Post Office must reveal how much cash it ‘stole’ from subpostmasters, MPs told
11 months, 1 week ago

Post Office must reveal how much cash it ‘stole’ from subpostmasters, MPs told

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. So could the minister find …

Kate Middleton’s postmaster demands justice for colleagues
11 months, 1 week ago

Kate Middleton’s postmaster demands justice for colleagues

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Shingadia, a grandfather, would serve sweets to the princess …

Mr Bates vs the Post Office is ITV’s biggest drama in three years
11 months, 1 week ago

Mr Bates vs the Post Office is ITV’s biggest drama in three years

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Real-life drama Mr Bates vs …

Hundreds of UK postal workers wrongly accused of fraud will have their convictions overturned
11 months, 1 week ago

Hundreds of UK postal workers wrongly accused of fraud will have their convictions overturned

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak …

Sunak urged to suspend Fujitsu contracts over Post Office IT scandal
11 months, 1 week ago

Sunak urged to suspend Fujitsu contracts over Post Office IT scandal

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Postal minister Kevin Hollinrake said the government believes it has …

Post Office hero Alan Bates fights back tears over surprise gift from Richard Branson
11 months, 1 week ago

Post Office hero Alan Bates fights back tears over surprise gift from Richard Branson

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Alan Bates, the former subpostmaster …

Ex-UK Post Office boss gives back a royal honor amid fury over hundreds of wrongful convictions
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Ex-UK Post Office boss gives back a royal honor amid fury over hundreds of wrongful convictions

Associated Press  

LONDON — The former head of Britain’s state-owned Post Office said Tuesday she will hand back a royal honor in response to mounting fury over a miscarriage of justice that saw hundreds of postmasters wrongfully accused of theft because of a faulty computer system. “I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect,” said Vennells, …

Post Office scandal screenwriter says series stands for those ‘who feel unheard’
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Post Office scandal screenwriter says series stands for those ‘who feel unheard’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Post Office scandal victims could be exonerated, Rishi Sunak suggests
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Post Office scandal victims could be exonerated, Rishi Sunak suggests

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Moves could include exonerating all those involved or removing the …

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