Submit Workplace scandal inquiry hits mainstream after dramatic begin to yr

Lengthy-running statutory public inquiry restarts with massively elevated curiosity following ITV’s dramatisation of the 2 decades-long scandal

Karl Flinders,
Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Printed: 12 Jan 2024 12:15

After almost two years, the Post Office Horizon scandal public inquiry has acquired a surge in curiosity pushed by the latest ITV drama and documentary, which informed the story of the widest miscarriage of justice in UK historical past.

A packed listening to this week noticed considerably elevated numbers of journalists attend, with many new to the inquiry.

The Post Office scandal noticed the Submit Workplace blame 1000’s of subpostmasters for accounting shortfalls that had been really attributable to the Submit Workplace’s retail and accounting system, generally known as Horizon.

The losses didn’t exist in the true world, simply on the pc system, however subpostmasters had been compelled to pay cash to the Submit Workplace to cowl the phantom losses. Moreover, though the Submit Workplace knew the system lacked integrity, subpostmasters had been prosecuted for crimes of dishonesty based mostly on its knowledge.

The software program from Fujitsu was launched to 1000’s of branches in 1999/2000, and subpostmasters started experiencing account shortfalls quickly after set up.

Many suffered chapter and 1000’s of lives had been ruined, together with greater than 900 who had been convicted of crimes corresponding to theft and false accounting. Practically 100 have up to now had convictions overturned, and the federal government plans to legislate to overturn the rest in a blanket exoneration.

The general public inquiry into the scandal has run for almost two years and has shocked those that attend or tune in usually, however an underwhelming variety of mainstream media have written about its earlier revelations, regardless of the gravity of what the Submit Workplace has executed to subpostmasters over the previous 25 years.

Pc Weekly first exposed the scandal in 2009, with the tales of seven subpostmasters and the issues they suffered because of the Horizon system (see timeline of all Computer Weekly articles about the scandal below).

However issues modified on the very begin of this yr when ITV aired its drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office and an accompanying documentary about what has change into generally known as the widest miscarriage of justice in UK historical past.

This week, because the inquiry resumed, the listening to room in central London was packed out with reporters from mainstream media in addition to quite a few former subpostmaster victims.

The resumption of section 4 of the inquiry, which appears to be like on the prosecution practices of the Submit Workplace, noticed former Submit Workplace investigator Stephen Bradshaw, who nonetheless works for the Submit Workplace, face the nation. Reside protection of the inquiry was broadcast by nationwide TV information channels and newspaper web sites for the primary time.

Journalists new to the inquiry appeared shocked by the proof they had been listening to – an emotion skilled all through the previous two years by inquiry regulars. The media curiosity is an inevitable consequence of the drama and the federal government’s sudden urgency to attempt to put issues proper.

Simply days after the ultimate TV episode and the documentary telling the true story, the federal government leapt to motion within the face of mounting strain from a public equally shocked by the occasions of the previous twenty years.

As a measure of the sudden public consciousness of the remedy of subpostmasters, a web based ballot – which had existed for 3 years – calling for former Submit Workplace CEO Paula Vennells to lose her CBE, went from below 4,000 signatures to properly over 1,000,000 in three days following the airing of the drama.

Moreover, earlier this week, the federal government introduced its unprecedented constitutional resolution to push laws by Parliament in a matter of weeks to shortly overturn the convictions of round 800 former subpostmasters and department workers in a blanket exoneration.

Kevin Hollinrake, under-secretary of state on the Division for Enterprise and Commerce, denied that the drama compelled the transfer, however admitted it has “accelerated current plans”.

Nonetheless, based on a letter revealed by campaigner Eleanor Shaikh, Hollinrake denied this was a risk simply two months in the past. Within the letter to one of many subpostmasters’ MP, chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt, Hollinrake stated the federal government was unable to exonerate subpostmasters as a bunch.

“The courts’ processes are impartial of presidency, as are the Prison Instances Evaluate Fee, and due to this fact I’m unable to affect their method on this matter,” he wrote.

Three of the affected subpostmasters had been in attendance on the inquiry for the primary listening to for the reason that drama aired.

Mark Kelly, who ran a Submit Workplace department in Swansea and is a scandal sufferer, stated: “I, and others, really feel the drama was an incredible masterpiece that managed to chop by all technical jargon and centered on the fundamental and most vital a part of scandal.

“I didn’t count on the outpouring we have now had, however individuals should have seen the human affect. Earlier than, they simply thought, ‘You’re bankrupt, that’s life’, and didn’t realise simply how a lot the Submit Workplace hounded us.”

Kelly had warned the Post Office about a Horizon bug, but was ignored.

Additionally attending the listening to was Janet Skinner, who was wrongly prosecuted and jailed after accounting shortfalls appeared in her department accounts. She stated the elevated media consideration is continuous to get extra tales out to the general public.

“With all of the curiosity, it felt like the primary day of the inquiry once more,” she stated. “The drama is simply the tip of the iceberg.” Skinner had her wrongful conviction overturned in April 2021.

Jo Hamilton, a former subpostmaster who additionally had a wrongful conviction overturned, stated the mainstream curiosity has emboldened the subpostmasters: “We really feel now that folks know we did nothing unsuitable. The story was informed so properly, by the drama, that folks now know what we have now been saying is true.” Hamilton was one of many important characters featured within the TV sequence.

However she added: “Though we’re actually happy, there may be nonetheless frustration that so many individuals have nonetheless not acquired any monetary redress.”

Former subpostmaster Lee Castleton, who was bankrupted by the Submit Workplace for daring to problem the Horizon system over losses, stated the drama has lifted his temper due to the large wave of help: “The results have shocked everybody. I simply hope the momentum continues to permit a flurry to complete.”

Alan Bates, who arrange and chairs the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, which incorporates all 4 of the victims quoted right here, stated: “I’ve had lots of constructive feedback again from the group, which though many discovered it arduous going to look at because it introduced again the horrors of occasions of their lives, [they] are usually more than happy with it.”

He stated that whereas everybody concerned is shocked by the extent of the impact on the general public, it’s “no shock that they’ve reacted the best way they’ve, now that they know what has been occurring”.

“I definitely hope that the present public curiosity drives the monetary redress difficulty by ASAP, and I’m positive that now the highlight has raised the profile of all of this, the general public will probably be watching and demanding authorities to get this sorted,” he added.

Additionally watch: ITV’s Post Office scandal documentary: The real story.

Additionally learn: What you need to know about the Horizon scandal.