Ex-Post Office boss hands back CBE following Horizon Scandal drama

Paula Vennells, who was the chief executive of the body when it denied problems with its IT system that led to branch managers being involved in missing funds from shops, was given a CBE in 2018 but has faced calls to return it after an ITV drama depicting the miscarage of justice.

Sub-postmasters who have previously been convicted said that they were “glad” that it had been given back” and came after ministers piled pressure on Ms Vennells to return her honour.

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after faulty Fujitsu accounting software made it look like money was missing from their shops.

Fujitsu has been invited to give evidence to MPs on the Commons’ Business and Trade Committee next week, alongside business minister Kevin Hollinrake.

Ms Vennells yesterday said that she will continue cooperating with the ongoing public inquiry into the scandal, and has broken her silence in the face of public scrutiny which saw 1.2 million signatures on a petition calling for her to return her honour.

“I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect,” she said in a statement.

“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.”

Jo Hamilton, who was wrongfully convicted in 2008 of stealing thousands of pounds from the village shop in South Warnborough, Hampshire, said the decision made her “glad”.

“We’re all sick and tired of people taking money, being paid exorbitant amounts of money, and politicians taking absolutely no notice of you whatsoever… I think the people are just sick of it.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said handing back her CBE was “obviously the right decision”.

The Government is currently considering what further steps it can take to speed up the process that will see victims be given compensation and see their names cleared.

On Monday Kevin Hollinrake, the Post Office minister, vowed to leave “no stone unturned” in getting justice to those who were wrongly accused.

This also includes changing the rules around companies being able to bring private prosecutions against former employees, as called for by David Davis and Sir Keir Starmer.

However, Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, yesterday stopped short of saying that Fujitsu should be barred from winning government contracts during the duration of the inquiry.

The Justice Secretary Alex Chalk yesterday held crunch talks with senior judges on how to expedite clearing the subpostmasters’ wrongful convictions.

The scandal has seen questions raised over the role played by current politicians over whether they did enough at the time to uncover the scandal, with all political parties blaming each other for inaction.

Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader who was postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012 has defended his lack of action, accusing Post Office bosses of lying to him while he was in office.

Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer’s time as Director of Public Prosecutions and Rishi Sunak’s time as Chancellor have come under scrutiny as major parties also tried to lay blame at the feet of Cabinet Office Secretary Oliver Dowden, as well as the husband of Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary.

Actors and staff behind the four-part ITV drama covering the scandal said they have been left “proud and overwhelmed by the power our drama has had”.