Former Post Office chief at centre of IT scandal should 'consider returning CBE'

03 January 2024 , 23:15

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Paula Vennells (Image: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Former Post Office chief Paula Vennells should consider sending back her CBE over the IT scandal, a Tory minister suggested today.

Kevin Hollinrake, the minister responsible for postal services, was grilled after victims demanded the Government gets moving with payments.

In an apology to those impacted, the former Business Secretary Grant Shapps said 13 months ago he hoped “most cases can be resolved before the end of 2023”. But Mr Hollinrake admitted hundreds of payouts were yet to be finalised as he faced an interrogation on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

Presenter Susanna Reid held up a copy of yesterday’s Daily Mirror on the Post Office Scandal and asked the Tory minister: “Why can’t we just pay them the money?”

Alan Bates

Mr Hollinrake insisted the process and claims were “highly complex” and said the Government had committed to an August 7 deadline for making offers.

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He highlighted that Ms Vennells – CEO of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019 – was made a CBE in the 2019 New Year Honours List for services to the organisation. In 2021, she apologised for the “suffering” caused after 39 subpostmasters’ convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal.

Mr Hollinrake said: “I think that matter needs to be looked at. If I was Paula Vennells, I would seriously consider handing that back voluntarily.”

He added: “But we’ve got an inquiry... looking at all the evidence. That should identify who is responsible, in the Post Office or indeed potentially in Fujitsu, and those people wherever possible should be held to account.”

Pressed on whether any individual whose lies or dishonesty has led to an innocent person going to jail should be prosecuted, he said: “That seems reasonable. I’m not a lawyer or a prosecutor, so there needs to be a legal route to that.”

Victims of the scandal accused the Government of dragging its heels over compensation, 24 years after their wrongful convictions for stealing. More than 700 branch managers were prosecuted by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015, in what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history.

Earlier this week, one of the wrongly convicted, Alan Bates, demanded compensation be handed over before more people die of old age, with more than 60 already having passed away.

The former sub-postmaster is played by Toby Jones in ITV’s new four-part drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. In December, the Department for Business and Trade said 93 convictions have so far been overturned and £138million paid out to 2,700 claimants.

Ashley Cowburn